Eyes of the Broken Soul
by SincereNaruto
Summary: Every night since he could remember, it always happened the same way. The beatings, the pain, the cruelty, it never went away. But one night, it all changed and Naruto unlocked a power that would alter his life and the rest of the world around him forever
1. Chapter 1 Nightmares and Loneliness

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me, 'Tenrai Senshi'. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first. All original characters are my property.

**Warning:** Naruto is a bit OOC in this story due to circumstances explained. Some of the other characters may become OOC as well, mostly due to different circumstances taking place. If you don't like it, don't complain because I've already warned you.

This story is about a ten year old Naruto who lives a life of constant abuse at his orphanage because of the Kyuubi sealed inside him, never knowing why he was hated. However, one night, during one of his many violent encounters with the hostile caretakers, the boy inadvertently activates a hidden bloodline technique that hospitalizes one of his wardens. After being kicked out of his only home due to this incidence, Naruto must now deal with the after-effects of living a life devoid of love and comfort, not to mention the secrets of his newly discovered bloodline.

Will the boy ever be able to find a normal life of acceptance and love after so many years of isolation or is he forever destined to his lonely hell.

Hope you enjoy! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 1 - Nightmares and Loneliness**

The constant sound of dripping water echoed throughout a small barren room, slowly hitting the cold damp floor in a harmonious rhythm that tore away at an abandoned heart. A small lonely figure sits quietly on top of his barely tangible bed, gazing out into the night as rain fell past his small window, while shivering in the icy chill of his room.

This was the life of Naruto Uzumaki, a young boy who lived in an orphanage near the edge of Konoha, a boy who had been cursed with a life of loneliness and despair. Every night, he would gaze outside of his window, watching as those around him walked down the streets.

Laughs and smiles filled the air with their exuberant sounds as happy couples and families passed through Naruto's view, captivating his longing blue eyes with the warmth and happiness he saw in their faces, a happiness he never knew but one he had always wished to experience. It was all he could do to wait, to pass the time every night until someone finally came to 'see' him.

It was always the same, every evening one of the wardens would come into his room and teach him a lesson about 'love and comfort' in the only form he knew. The only type of contact he ever had outside of the ninja academy he was reluctantly allowed to attend was the brutal impact of fists and makeshift weapons against his small defenseless body, followed by words of hatred and cruelty.

This was his hell, his empty world of broken dreams and lost hope. He never knew why he was hated or tortured, why he was never allowed to play with the other children, or wander outside into the village. Even his room was secluded from the others, occupying an older side of the building that was in a much-needed state of repair. As with any orphanage, happy couples or would-be parents would often visit and sometimes leave with a new child in their care, but Naruto had no such luck.

He was never allowed to meet with the adults, never given the chance to have a family and life of his own. Even when he was lucky enough to bump into one of the hopeful parents, the only thing he would receive were their cruel glares and hateful whispers.

Why? Why him? Why was it always him? Even at the academy, he was never seen for who he was, only as the prankster that would try to mess up people's lives.

But he didn't know any other way to gain attention. He was never taught how to approach others, how to share a proper greeting or receive friendship and kindness. These things were all foreign to him, almost like trying to learn a different language all together.

He had never even received a hug or kiss in his entire life, or even the soft words of love and appreciation that a parent would give their child. The only person who even seemed to acknowledge him at all was one of his teachers at the academy, the one called Iruka. He was the only one who had any interest in Naruto's progress as a growing shinobi and as a pupil.

As Naruto's empty eyes lost themselves in the sight of falling rain, the door suddenly began to stir before slowly creaking open. The boy turned around with a small whimper escaping his lips, only to watch in a knowing dread as a large man walked into the room, cracking his knuckles in preparation for the night's lesson. He knew what was going to happen, it was the same thing that happened every evening at the same time.

Naruto climbed off his bed and backed away against the cold hard wall, watching with tearful eyes as the brutal figure made his way over to him, but his sobs were only music to his tormentor's ears and he received no pity or mercy even as his tears fell gently to the ground.

"Good evening little Naruto. I suppose you know why I'm here so we'll skip the introductions and pleasantries. Not that you'd know anything about that."

Naruto closed his eyes as tightly as he could manage, bracing himself against the wall for what was about to happen. All he heard was the cruel snickers of his newest 'teacher' before a shooting pain erupted on the side of his cheek. The blow from the man's fist was so hard that it knocked him straight onto the damp floor. He could feel the blood making it's way out of his mouth, tasting the coppery slime before it dripped onto the ground.

Naruto gave out a wince of pain as his nerves suddenly fired up around the impacted area, but he still didn't open his eyes regardless of the pain it caused him. He just waited there on the floor hoping he would pass out from the agony and save himself from further torture, but he was not that lucky, never was.

Another kick broke into his side soon afterwards, fracturing his ribs with a resounding and very agonizing crack. The sheer amount of pain that erupted through his body finally coerced him to scream out in anguish despite his efforts to hold his obvious pain. The man simply laughed at his cries, almost as though he enjoyed the sounds of Naruto's agony.

"Yes, that's right. Scream for me, let me hear you cry."

It didn't stop there either. The beating continued for the next half hour, interspersed with the sobs and screams from the young blond boy who endured the cruelty of an unfair punishment.

After a while, his anguished cries devolved into strained screeches before eventually subsiding all together, the boy no longer having the strength to even scream. The only thing that remained, as his fragile body continued to endure the endless punishment, were the tears that poured out from his tightly closed eyes.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of torment, the beating came to a sudden halt and Naruto slowly began to open his bruised eyes to watch as his assailant walked over to the door, with a smug spring in his step.

"Looks like we're done for the night." The man snickered, looking back at his handy work lying in a quiver on the floor. "I'll see you again tomorrow, same time, hahaha... same place!"

The man turned again to walk out the door while Naruto desperately tried to pick himself up, supporting his battered body against the nearby bed as he managed to come to his knees. It was over, he had survived another night, but before he was even allowed to finally breath a painful sigh of relief the dark figure walked back into the room holding what looked like a wooden stick with pieces of metal teeth jutting out from it's surface.

"I Thought I'd leave you one last present for tonight seen as how you took that little beating so well." Naruto's eyes widened in horror as the man made his way back to where he knelt on the floor, while his heart began to tense in fear.

"No... please don't... not any more." Naruto's sobs and pleas were ignored as the man raised his weapon to strike. He closed his eyes to prepare for the torture once again, but the snickers of his assailant still rung in his ears. "No... not any more... **NO MORE!!"**

Suddenly, Naruto's eyes shot open again, revealing two golden irises in place of his normal blue ones. As he caught the warden's gaze with his panic stricken eyes, the man suddenly dropped the weapon in his hands and began to violently quiver in fear. Before Naruto could understand what was going on, the man fell onto his back and began to scream in pain, holding his head with his hands and rolling on the floor in anguish. It was almost as though he were being attacked and tortured by an invisible assailant.

Naruto's eyes returned to their normal blue shade once more and he began to push himself up off the floor, not knowing what had just taken place. He quickly stumbled past the squirming warden and out of his room, limping down the hallway as fast as his battered legs could carry him. He could hardly walk with his numerous injuries, but somehow he found the strength to continue, screaming for help as he made his way.

"S... somebody help!! I... I don't know what's happening!!"

As much as Naruto hated what was done to him, he couldn't watch while someone cried out in pain. He couldn't allow anyone to die like that, no matter how cruelly the boy had been treated. Naruto's weakened form eventually collapsed on the ground, his clothes covered in the blood and tears of his nightmare, watching as the world around him became a dark blur. The last thing he saw were two high-heeled shoes making their way up to his position and then... nothing.

--

"So the little monster's finally done it. I knew this would happen sooner or later, we should have gotten rid of him sooner."

The dark world that engulfed Naruto slowly peeled away as the throbbing pain in his head brought him out of unconsciousness. As his eyes opened to reveal the damp tattered room around him once more, the boy's gaze was met with the visage one of the officials that ran the orphanage who's words had pulled him from the darkness.

It was a tall, relatively skinny woman with long blond hair and cold green eyes. Her gaze was filled with the same cruelty and arrogance as the rest of them, holding the boy in front of them with nothing but ill contempt. This wasn't the first time Naruto had met her. She would often show up after one of Naruto's many 'accidents' or when he tried to resist a beating.

"It seems you've caused us a bit of trouble" she began, walking to the side of Naruto's bed. "Our dear warden was nearly killed by your little stunt and is currently being taken to Konoha's hospital. The med-nins said he would be in a comatose state for at least the next week. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Naruto looked up in both surprise and fear. He didn't intentionally do anything to hurt the man, but he knew he would be blamed and punished nonetheless.

"WELL!?!?"

Naruto painfully pushed his body up into a sitting position and began to quiver violently with fear, holding back the tears that stung in the corners of his eyes. He knew how cruel this person could be and how much agony he would have to endure by her hands if he didn't choose his words wisely.

"I... I don't know what happened, I swear! One minute he was standing in front of me and the next he was on the floor, screaming. He..."

"Enough! I don't know who you think I am or if you just think I'm plain stupid, but this charade has gone on long enough." Naruto watched in fear as the woman marched over to his door, turning back only to finish speaking. "The third Hokage may have placed you here out of compassion, but I can no longer allow a monster like you to live in our presence."

The woman then walked out of the door, only to be replaced by two tall, heavily built men. They made there way over to the panic stricken boy and hauled him out of his bed, carrying him buy his arms down the hallway to the entrance of the building with little regard for his injuries. As they opened the front door, revealing the still pouring rain outside, the two men hurled Naruto into the street with what little belongings he had left.

"Get lost and don't ever bother coming back monster!!" The door slammed shut behind Naruto, leaving him in the cold rain under the night-time sky.

He slowly picked himself of the floor despite the pain of his injuries, rubbing his eyes with his arm as the tears began to stream down his face. Tears that were hidden by the rain that soaked his blood stained shirt, washing away the evidence of his torture.

"Why did they call me a monster? What did I do to deserve this?" he sobbed, slowly making his way down the now empty street.

Naruto wandered for what seemed like an eternity, carrying the backpack that held what little clothes he had. At this point in time he was wearing a white, short-sleeved shirt with a Konoha leaf symbol in the center of it and black pants that fell a few centimeters bellow his knees. He also had black footwear much like the sandals the other shinobi wore at his academy. The outfits in his bag were pretty much the same, only just spares of what he was already wearing.

After finding his way into a secluded alleyway, Naruto sank down next to the nearest dumpster and leaned against it's cold hard surface, snuggling against the corner where it met against the wall.

This was his home now. The very streets he was never allowed to wander, with all their dangers and hardships, would now be the only place he could return to. Naruto pulled his backpack from his shoulders and pushed it into the corner, using it as a makeshift pillow for the night.

Even though his body was soaked with the freezing rain that fell around him, he somehow managed to fall into a deep sleep with only the warmth of his tears to comfort him, passing the rest of the night in loneliness as he had always done before. Only his momentary shivers showed any signs that the boy was still alive. It was life that was now on the verge of a great change once again.

--

Dawn....

As the last few vestiges of rain clouds fell away from the morning sky, the warm soft rays of the first glimmers of sunlight finally began to pierce down into the village, embracing the small quivering body of a young boy who had somehow managed to survive the icy night.

Naruto's battered form began to stir under the warmth of the sun, before stretching out to relieve the pain from the previous nights tortures. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing the still soaked floors and walls that surrounded him.

Naruto sat up and shook his shirt of from the dust and marks that filled it. Its white surface was now covered with black marks and had half been torn to shreds during his beating. Naruto pulled it off from his back and held it in front of him, looking over it's tattered form. He would have to change before heading off to the academy, otherwise everyone there would notice, but as the boy turned to fetch a new shirt out of his bag, his eyes were only met with the empty corner where his belongings had once lain.

It had been stolen. He hadn't even been on the streets for more than one night and all his belongings were already gone. Now he was only left with the clothes on his back (so to speak) and the injuries from those that hated him. Naruto dropped to his knees and began to cry once again, scrunching up the shirt in his hands trying to relieve some of the built-up tension. After a few more minutes of falling tears, he stood up and pulled the tattered piece of clothing over his back again, walking out of the damp alleyway.

He didn't want to be late for class at the academy. It was the only place where he could escape from the hell that was his life. The only place where he could find a dream worth holding on to, a dream worth living for. To be a shinobi and find the strength to show those around him the worth of his existence.

After a few minutes of walking had passed, Naruto finally found himself in the comforting sight of the academy grounds. As he stepped into the familiar building, he felt all of the pain and fears begin to slowly fall away, replaced instead by a warm, subtle relief. He felt safe here, like no one could hurt him or take away what little was left of his soul. Even though some of the teachers still glared at him with cold, tormenting eyes, none of them had ever dared to confront him or cause him harm.

Perhaps it was because of all the numerous shinobi that filled the building, or the watchful eyes of Iruka that had stayed their hands. He knew that it was the third Hokage that insisted he be allowed to train at the academy, so he assumed that any misconduct, especially from the very ninja that served the old man, would be dealt with harshly.

Naruto made his way into the classroom where he was taught every day and sat in his usual position facing the blackboard in the front of the room. He was the only one there so far, arriving much earlier than usual.

Normally his caretakers at the orphanage would keep him away for as for as long as possible, not wanting the boy to advance into something that would possibly seek vengeance on them, but now he was finally able to come on his own accord, arriving when it suited him especially seen as how he had nothing else worth doing.

As he sat there by his desk, Naruto allowed his head to rest on its wooden surface, slowly dosing off into a deep sleep once again. It was amazing that he made it to the academy in the first place considering the exhaustion of his over-stressed and battered muscles.

After a few more minutes had passed the shuffling of feet and silent whispers sounded throughout the large room as more academy students began to make their way to their seats. Naruto just remained sleeping, oblivious to the curious stares of his classmates as they moved in around him. Eventually Iruka himself walked into the room, demanding silence from the ruckus that had formed.

"Alright class, you should all know by now that tomorrow we're holding another important exam. This one will determine your advancement into the level of the academy where you'll start learning basic combat skills and some jutsu. Those who fail will be kept back and will have to try it again in six months."

Up until this point in the ninja academy, all students were only taught the bare minimums of ninja combat. The only jutsu that was permitted so far was the replication technique, mostly because it was the safest to use and consumed little chakra for the still developing youngsters. As soon as Iruka had finished explaining, the muffled complaints of the students before him began to reverberate around the room.

A young dark-haired kid known as Shikamaru just gave off a troublesome sigh. He had always been lazy in class and although he knew he'd probably still pass, he was beginning to wonder if it was even worth the effort. His thoughts were soon jarred when his eyes caught sight of a sleeping Naruto in the desk in front of him.

"Well, looks like he's going to be staying back another six months." He sighed, but then his eyes began to wonder over the tattered clothes that covered the boy's back. "I wonder what happened to him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Shikamaru turned to face the blond haired girl that sat beside him. "He's probably been playing some kind of prank again and just got himself into trouble. Serves him right if you ask me, I'm glad he's not going to pass. At least we'll get rid of him now."

Shikamaru gave off another deflated sigh. "Ino, we don't know if that's the case. Perhaps we should tell Iruka..."

"Tell him what!?" The girls snapped back, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yes, what is it you want to tell me?" Both of them turned in surprise as Iruka called out in their direction. He had noticed their idle chatter from a mile away and was beginning to grow irritated by the interruption.

"Well, that idiot Naruto is sleeping in class again!! He's always going to be a dead last if you ask me!!" Everyone turned to the said boy as he continued to slumber away causing Iruka's eye to twitch in frustration.

"Oooh!! That boy is going to give me such a headache!!" Iruka proceeded to march angrily up the steps to Naruto's row and walked over to his sleeping form. He was just about ready to swat the boy on the back of his head, until he noticed the tattered and torn shirt on his back with the remains of what looked barely visible blood stains.

Iruka briefly froze for a moment, before walking up to the boy's side, past the curious Inuzuka that sat next to him and then placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. The anger in his eyes quickly fell away and were now replaced with concern and fear.

"Naruto, wake up." He murmured with a gulp, shaking the boy's shoulder from side to side.

The only response he got was a few muffled laughs from the students around him, as his attempt to wake the slumbering student bore no fruit. He then tried it again, this time shaking the boy more vigorously, desperately trying to break his sleep.

After a few tugs, Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open in a yelp of panic and he swung his arm, lashing out in defense. Iruka, luckily, caught it in mid flight, avoiding the impending blow. The terrified boy suddenly realized whom it was he lashed out to as he looked up to the shocked man.

"I... Iruka-sensei. I'm sorry I didn't..."

"That's all right Naruto." Iruka looked down at the bruised face in front of him, it was filled with marks and cuts, the same as the small arm he now held in his hand. The boy's eyes were filled with both panic and what looked like guilt, but also the unmistakable traces of fear.

"Naruto... what happened to you?" Naruto's eyes began to water as he continued to look up in silence, but before any tears could fall, someone called out from the back of the class.

"Yea, what happened dobe!? Get run over by a stampede!? Or maybe the little prankster got caught with his own medicine." Everyone burst out laughing as the cruel words were thrown in Naruto's direction and Iruka could only just watch with a heavy cringe as the boy sprang up from his desk, before running out the room, covering his face in shame and to hide his falling tears.

"Alright that's enough everyone!! I don't want to hear another word from any of you or it will be detention for a week, **GOT IT!?!?"** Everyone became silent at Iruka's outburst. None of them had ever seen so much anger in his eyes before now. The chunin then ran out the room to find his student, leaving the stunned class behind him.

--

After wondering the hallways in desperation, trying to search for Naruto, Iruka finally found his way outside into the academy playground, the only place he hadn't looked so far. There, sitting alone on a swing, was the blond boy he was searching for crying his eyes out as he calmly rocked back and forth in a gentle sway.

Iruka simply took a deep, nervous gulp and then cautiously made his way over to the empty seat beside him. Naruto was somewhat startled by his arrival, but quickly calmed down again soon afterwards, never once speaking a word to ward him away or even great him. There was a moment of awkward silence between the two, interrupted only by the soft sobs coming from the younger boy, before the older chunin finally spoke in a gentle whisper, saying the only thoughts that he could put into words at the time.

"They… they hurt you, didn't they?"

Naruto gave off another deep, heavy sob, as if to confirm his teacher's suspicions. Iruka then moved off his swing and knelt in front of the boy, gaining his eyes in a locked gaze. They were filled with so much pain and suffering, more so than he had ever seen before and it was enough to cause his heart to sink just looking into such an sorrowed gaze. Iruka then placed his arms around Naruto and pulled him into an embrace for the first time in the boy's life, allowing him to sob on his shoulders releasing the anguish he felt inside.

Naruto flinched slightly at the sudden motion, his body tightening up defensively as the foreign exchange was initiated.

"I… Iruka-sensei…. w-what are you d-doing?" The boy stammered uneasily, unable to discern the situation he now found himself in.

Iruka simply squeezed even tighter, pulling Naruto even closer to him and holding him as gently as possible.

"What do you mean? I'm giving you a hug. It's what people do for someone they care about when they are sad or in pain." Naruto's eyes widened at that, but the tears in his eyes only grew even more.

Soon his head was buried completely into his teacher's shoulders as his sobs continued to shake his body, while he allowed the warm comfort of their embrace to sooth him. Iruka just continued to hold him closely as he let out all of his emotions, knowing full well that it was all he could do for the boy at this point.

"That's right, just let it all out." He whispered gently, stroking Naruto's back in an effort to ease his shaking. "I won't let go until you are ready…"

Something strange began to happen at that point. For some unexplained reason, Iruka began to feel his own emotions stir inside, almost as though the pain Naruto was feeling made it's way into his teacher's heart as well. Shinobi at chunin level or above, especially academy teachers, had received extensive training to keep their emotions in check at all times, but Iruka knew he had no control over what he was feeling now. It felt the same as when someone forced their chakra into another person's body only this time his feelings were shared as well.

Iruka tried to brush off the strange emotions, setting them aside to concentrate on the boy in his arms. He could think on the matter later. After a few more minutes of crying, the chunin finally allowed himself to pull away from Naruto, allowing him a moment to wipe away his tears before sharing in the boy's gaze once again. He noticed a small glimmer of gold shining in the Naruto's otherwise cerulean eyes, but brushed it off as the reflection of the morning sunlight.

"Are you feeling a bit better now?" Naruto nodded his head slightly in answer for lack of any better response, after all he was feeling a _bit_ better. He was still shaking a lot though, something Iruka noticed easily and with a great deal of discomfort.

"Look Naruto, I'll talk to the third and see if we can resolve this issue with the orphanage once and for all." Naruto just shook his head in silent disapproval.

"It doesn't matter any more. They kicked me out last night. I have no-where to live any more." Iruka's eyes dropped at the sound of his student's words.

"W... what happened? Why did they kick you out?" He mumbled. Naruto thought long and hard about what happened, trying to sort through the blotchy memories as best he could, before finally responding.

"I…. I'm not really sure. They... they said it was something about me putting one of the wardens in a coma. I think they mean he's sleeping and he can't wake up. You see, while he was beating me up something happened..."

"**WHAT!?"** Iruka growled, his eyes growing infuriated at what he had just heard. He quickly stood to his feet and began to storm off. "When I get my hands on those filthy bastards I'm gonna..." Naruto grabbed Iruka's hand before he could move far.

"Don't Iruka-sensei. I don't want to hurt him any more than I already have. Besides, it will just get me into more trouble, even though I don't actually know what really happened." Iruka was almost taken aback by how Naruto could be so kind and forgiving even when he was treated so cruelly, but the boy's pleading eyes won over in the end.

"Alright... alright, let me take you out for ramen. We'll talk over at Ichiraku's and you can explain everything that happened." Naruto gave a silent nod of approval, before wiping the tears from his face once more.

He then stood up from the swing and allowed himself to be led of the field by his sensei's hand. Iruka didn't even go back to the class to explain what was going on. At this point in time, Naruto was the only one he was concerned about.

What could a ten-year-old academy student do to put a grown man in hospital so easily? And what was the sudden sensation he felt when hugging the boy? He would have to find out what he could and talk to the Hokage about this new development. But first, he would have to get Naruto some new clothes and check his wounds.

--

**AN:** Well I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD


	2. Chapter 2 Iruka's Analysis

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This fanfic belongs to me. If you want to use it in any way shape or form, you'll need my permission first.

--

**Chapter 2 - Iruka's Analysis**

The immensely inviting smell of freshly cooked food gently teased the nose of an excited young boy as he and his sensei made their way to Ichiraku's ramen stand. Naruto and Iruka had spent much of the day wandering around Konoha, first visiting the hospital to check up on the boy's numerous wounds.

While they were there, the chunin's frustrations grew to unequaled levels when the nurses refused to give the boy anything more than a simple overview, almost completely ignoring the bruises and cuts clearly visible on his face and arms. After some... 'persuasion', however, they were soon checking the boy's muscles and organs more thoroughly.

It pained Iruka greatly when he received the diagnostics report on the Naruto's condition. Apparently the youngster had received multiple fractures and lacerations throughout his body and the sheer amount of punctured arteries and bruised muscles tissue was frightening. The fact that Naruto was even able to walk at all was surprising, much less anything else.

Iruka silently considered breaking his promise to the boy about not harming those at the orphanage. In fact, he knew a few certain somebodies who could make their lives a living hell. One Ibiki Morino came to mind as a possible tool for vengeance although the sadistic temptress that was Anko Mitarashi wasn't a bad idea either.

Luckily for Naruto and for Iruka's failing heart, none of his internal organs were too severely damaged and it seemed as though, much to the chunin's surprise, Naruto's wounds were also healing at a remarkably rapid rate. The boy was given the 'okay' for the time being and the two then made their way to their next stop.

The second task for the day was to shop for new clothing for the young trainee. It was painfully clear to Iruka that Naruto didn't have a single possession left in the world to call his own other than the clothes he was already wearing, so it wasn't surprising how happy he felt when he saw the youngster's face light up with glee as he tried on some new outfits.

At first, Naruto seemed to be very shy and even a little afraid. It was obvious that no-one had ever gone out of their way to care for the boy and make sure he received the things he needed, so he was not used to the kind gesture, but after a few words of encouragement and understanding from Iruka, Naruto finally let go of his unease and allowed himself to accept this precious gift from the only one that seemed to care for him.

Now Iruka wasn't exactly a fashion guru, but he seemed quite concerned when the now increasingly bubbling child came out of the change rooms wearing a bright orange and navy blue jumpsuit. After a carefully conceived explanation about how a ninja needs to remain hidden at all times, he finally managed to convince the blond that it was an unwise choice of colours. Naruto seemed to accept his explanation that "brighter isn't always better" with careful consideration and decided to stick with his usual white shirt and black pants combo. He always did like those two colours, even though he never had a choice in the matter before now.

When they went to the till to pay the bills, the chunin couldn't help but notice the growing evidence of tears that had formed in the corners of Naruto's eyes and the excited smile etched brightly on his whiskered face. He also began to notice the same golden tinge that he had seen earlier that day, only this time there was no sun to blame it on.

He had a bit of trouble with the lady behind the counter, much like he had with the nurses in the hospital, but once again his unusually 'persuasive demeanor' won over in the end and he managed to get out of the store with his wallet relatively intact.

--

After a busy day of shopping and hospital check-ups (and a quick change of clothes) they finally went to lunch as Iruka had promised earlier that morning, which is how they now found themselves here at Ichiraku's. As they entered into the street-side store, the mouth-watering smells of steaming ramen instantly caught Naruto in its enrapturing trance.

The old man at the counter greeted them with a warm hearty welcome, introducing himself as Teuchi and smiling at the sight of his new young customer. Naruto had never been treated to anything like this in his life before, so it wasn't surprising to see the sense of wonder and excitement smeared across his otherwise bruised face.

"So, what will it be for the young master today!?"

Naruto's face shot into a bright grin as the two of them sat in front of the counter, the boy doing very little to hide his obvious excitement. Iruka handed him a nearby menu and let him read it for himself while he looked over his own. Naruto stared at the words with a great deal of concentration moving his mouth as he looked through each line. It was almost as though the mere act of reading took a great deal of effort on his part. Iruka watched on with knotted stomach as the boy's face grew into a discomforting frown.

"Iruka-sensei…" He finally mumbled, turning to his teacher with shame filled eyes. "I... I can't understand what it says."

The chunin felt his heart plummet at the sound of Naruto's words. Just what the hell were they doing at the orphanage if the boy couldn't even read properly? No wonder he was struggling so much at the academy, how could he not have seen this sooner?

"Alright, don't worry about it Naruto. Let me help you there."

Iruka leaned over to the distressed pupil beside him and began to recite the menu's contents, helping the boy decipher the words for himself as well as gently correcting his mistakes. After a few minutes of sitting there working it out and a few curious stares from their host, Naruto finally looked up to the old man Teuchi and called out his order.

"I... I'll have one bowl of miso ramen." Iruka then quickly leaned over and whispered into his ear again. After giving of a small nod, Naruto rephrased his words.

"Can I have one bowl of miso ramen... please?" The last word was emphasized with an odd smile from Naruto's part and the old man just grinned in response, as if to silently approve his well-mannered request.

"Of course you can little one. What can I get for our other guest?"

"Oh, I'll just have one bowl of pork ramen please." Iruka responded just as politely.

Teuchi smiled in approval once more and then turned to see to their meals, but just before he made his way to the back of the stand he caught sight of the bruises around Naruto's eyes, which he had only just noticed despite the boy's efforts to hide them from view.

"What happened to you little one? Looks like you've been roughed up a bit..." He gulped uneasily, gazing intently at the soiled face before him. Iruka opened his mouth to answer the man's question, but Naruto quickly cut him off before he could speak.

"Oh that. Well you see... I... I just got into a fight at school that's all. Nothing to worry about." Teuchi still seemed somewhat uneasy, but the old man's face seemed to relax a bit at the boy's explanation, before he once again turned to get their food. As he walked to the back of the store, he called out to Naruto once more.

"I hope you showed the other kid not to mess with you again!"

"You bet ya!" Naruto grinned in reply, trying to sound as reassuring and as genuine as possible.

But as Iruka continued to gaze at him, he noticed the boy's face fall back into a frown soon afterwards, clearly betraying the truth of the matter to anyone who might have seen his expression.

'_It must have hurt for him to have to lie like that, just to keep those around him from worrying.'_ Iruka thought quietly to himself.

The man then began to wonder just how many times Naruto had done the same with him in the past and he silently cursed himself for his own negligence on the matter. He couldn't help but feel guilty about the way Naruto had been treated and the fact that he had never really taken notice of it before.

After a few more minutes had passed by, two steaming bowels of ramen were placed in front of the two waiting guests. Iruka shot Naruto off another small glance, to which the boy gave a polite 'thank you' to the store owner. The chunin then followed with his own 'thank you' and they both got stuck into their meals.

It seemed as though the useless bags of meat at the orphanage hadn't taught the boy anything about proper manners or etiquette either and his lack of reading skills showed their neglect more than anything else. Another thing that shocked the chunin watching over him was how fast Naruto seemed to shoot through his meal, gulping it down at an alarming rate as though he hadn't eaten in days.

It wasn't long before the bottom of the bowl became visible through the pool of soup that remained behind, which Naruto promptly finished off with a satisfied gulp as he drank it down.

"**That was the best food ever Iruka-sensei!!"** The boy boasted happily, slapping a grin on his messy face as he emptied the bowel and placed it back down on the table.

Iruka giggled at the sight of his ramen filled cheeks and his warm smile. It almost completely hid away the bruises and marks that covered him... almost. The man then picked up a nearby serviette and rubbed Naruto's face clean, extracting a small giggle from the ticklish endeavor as the cloth brushed up against his whisker marks. The chunin's face then brought on to a more serious expression.

"So... Naruto, what exactly did they feed you at the orphanage anyway?" Naruto's eyes lost their glimmer once again as the memories of that horrid place filled his mind, something that made Iruka almost immediately regret his question.

"Well, sometimes they would just give me leftovers after everyone else had finished their own food, that was if I was lucky. The rest of the time I just got moldy bread that was already a week old."

Iruka felt his stomach knot sickeningly once more, almost opting him to lose the food he had just eaten moments before. Oh yes, he would definitely be talking to Anko, there was no doubt about it. Ibiki could torture what was left of them after she satisfied herself with their screams. Revenge would be sweet indeed, but before Iruka could delve any deeper into his sadistic thoughts Naruto called out for his attention again.

"Um... Iruka-sensei, can... can I have another bowl.... please?" The chunin gave off a warm smile and nodded in approval, much to the boy's obvious glee.

--

Iruka was starting to wonder if bringing Naruto to lunch was such a good idea after all. Eight bowels of downed ramen later, he found himself checking his wallet to make sure he had enough money to pay the ever growing bill, but seeing the glow on Naruto's face erased all doubts from his mind, it was all definitely worth all the trouble.

He had never seen Naruto so happy before, like a child smiling on his birthday after receiving the gift he had always been waiting for. It was disturbing how so simple an act could bring the boy so much pleasure. After a few more minutes and two more bowels of ramen, Naruto patted his stomach in satisfaction and once again thanked their host.

Now that their meal was finally over Iruka took the presented opportunity to ask Naruto about the events of the previous night.

"So Naruto, you were going to tell me what happened, you know with the warden at the orphanage." Naruto gave out a deflated sigh and scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Well, it's like I was telling you. That big man came into my room and started to beat me up. It happened every night so I wasn't really surprised to see him, but that still doesn't make it any easier you know." Iruka nodded his head in quiet understanding as the boy spoke, gently coaxing him into continuing.

"So, when I thought he was finally finished with me he walk out of the room to leave, but then he just came back again in with this thing in his hand that he was going to torture me with and I guess I kinda freaked out. After that, when I looked into his eyes, he started going crazy, falling on the ground and screaming." Naruto's tone began to sink into a near whisper as he continued.

"It... it looked painful. Like he was being tortured or something...." The boy then paused for a brief moment, pushing back the stinging sensation that had suddenly began to burn in his eyes before finally finishing.

"...Anyway, that's when they threw me out onto the streets and told me to never go back."

Naruto released a heavy sigh, desperately trying to relieve his built up tension in any way he could manage. Iruka simply drew his hand up onto his chin in thought, trying to put all the pieces of Naruto's story together and decipher what had happened.

From what he could tell of Naruto's description, the man that had attacked him seemed to suffer from the effects of some sort of genjutsu, but Naruto had never mentioned forming any of the hand signs that were essential to casting one. Besides, the young shinobi in training hadn't even managed to master the Bunshin no Jutsu, much less a jutsu that required extremely precise chakra control beyond that of most academy students. The only other thing that could explain what happened was if it was cast by the effects of a doujutsu, which would explain why the warden only reacted after looking into Naruto's eyes.

There was only one problem though, doujutsu were only found actively as rare bloodline traits among specific clans and the only two bloodlines in Konoha that contained them were the Uchiha's Sharingan and the Hyuuga's Byuakugan. The latter couldn't cast any known genjutsu, which only left the Sharingan as a possibility. Iruka knew that Naruto wasn't an Uchiha and there were no other known great doujutsu's, other than a rumored fable, which could explain this phenomenon.

There were minor examples of lesser doujutsus known throughout the world, but those normally came about after members of the greater clans broke away and watered down their bloodline with mixed breeding. Even still, none of those said eye techniques could ever cast a genjutsu of the magnitude as the one Naruto had described.

Not to mention there was still the matter of Naruto's contact with him at the academy. The feelings Iruka had conjured back then were definitely not his own and he suspected Naruto's physical touch had something to do with it.

"Naruto, did you notice anything odd when you looked into the man's eyes? You know, like anything out of the ordinary." Naruto gave some thought to his sensei's question before answering.

"Yeah, things did seem to look a little different. When I looked at him, it was like everything was clear to me, clearer than they've ever been before. It was almost as though I could see inside of him, you know, all the feelings and the pain. He seemed... sad almost, like he had lost someone close to him long ago."

Iruka nodded his head in thought. Everything Naruto described sounded like the effects a doujutsu might grant. Normally those who wield their power are given an enhanced perception of the world around them.

The Byuakugan gave the Hyuuga the ability to observe their surroundings in a 360-degree radius without any obstruction and it also allowed them to see another person's chakra flow and tenketsu points. The Sharingan allowed it's users to read another person's taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu without fault and also allowed them to counter or copy such techniques accordingly.

Both of those examples, however, were more physical manifestations of enhanced perception. What Naruto described was... something else entirely. The chunin brushed off his thoughts on the matter for the time being and stood from his chair, before handing over the bill to their grateful host and walking Naruto back into the street. He was deeply troubled by the intriguing puzzle he had stumbled upon, but he also knew that he would not be able to find any answers on his own. He would have to see the Hokage and explain the situation as soon as possible.

"Alright Naruto, thanks for telling me everything you know. I realize that it must have been hard to repeat all of that but I promise I'll try to figure out what's going on."

Naruto gave a solemn nod as the two made their way down the dusty street and then looked up to his sensei with grateful eyes.

"Iruka-sensei... why... why are you doing all of this for me? I mean, all my life everyone else has just treated me like dirt. It's like they think I'm a monster or something, but you... you're so nice and... kind and..."

The boy's eyes then began to swell up with tears again, but he desperately tried to push them back away from view. This only prompted his teacher to put his arm around Naruto's shoulder before pulling the boy closer to his side and holding him tightly. The chunin began to feel his emotions stir once again as he embraced the boy once more, forcing him to push back the tears that suddenly stung at the back of his own eyes.

"Naruto, I don't know how to explain the actions of others, but I do know that what they did to you was wrong. No-one deserves to be treated like you were, no matter what people think they see in them. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" Naruto simply nodded in understanding.

"Th... thanks Iruka-sensei."

Iruka then ruffled up the boy's hair a bit, gaining another quivering chuckle from the blond as his tears slowly dried away.

"Good, now, lets go see the old man and get this matter resolved once and for all." With that, the two made there way over to the Hokage tower, walking closely in one another's comfort.

Iruka would be damned if someone attempted to harm the boy on their way. Heaven help the poor soul who tried to take advantage of such an innocent child. The cruel stares of the villagers around him were only met with Iruka's own murderous glare and the amount of killing intent that radiated off the protective father figure was unnatural for the usually kind soul that was Iruka.

He only hoped that Naruto hadn't noticed what was happening around him. Naruto's own body, however, began to quiver in fear much to Iruka's painful discomfort. His anger and frustration quickly fell away again only to be replaced by concern.

The strange thing was that as soon as Iruka let go of his tensed emotions, Naruto's quivering began to lessen as well and abruptly ended all together. It was almost as though his reaction was caused by the chunin's own feelings at the time.

Iruka simply brushed off his curiosity on the matter for the time being and willfully refocused on their task. The two of them entered into the front entrance of their destination soon afterwards and walked down the busy hallway to the room in which the third resided. As soon as they arrived at the said door, the ANBU immediately greeted the chunin.

"Iruka-san, you're here. Hokage-sama has been waiting for you two, he told us to let you inside as soon as you arrived." Iruka face immediately filled with surprise and confusion.

"The... Hokage was expecting us?" But he quickly shook it off and bowed politely as the ANBU opened the door.

The two of them then walked inside with a frightened Naruto still under Iruka's arms, who never let go of the boy once as they made there way to stand in front of the most powerful figure in Konoha. The said man looked up from his paperwork and gave off a relieved smile.

"Ah Iruka, I'm glad you could make it." The old man's eyes then resettled onto the boy hiding under Iruka's arm, who flinched slightly under his gaze. "And I see you've brought Naruto with you too. That is good." Iruka quickly gave a respectful bow and then prompted Naruto to do the same.

"Lord Hokage, you were expecting us?" The old man grinned at the obvious confusion on the chunin's face. Naruto looked equally baffled and a little bit intimidated by his presence as well, but a quick flash of a warm smile from the old man quickly erased some of the boy's fears.

"Well, when I heard about the orphanage kicking Naruto out because of him hospitalizing one of their wardens, I naturally became concerned. Then I received a report from the academy that one of my best teachers just upped and left a class unattended. It didn't take long for me to put two and two together so I knew I would be seeing both of you soon." Iruka seemed to blush in embarrassment.

"I... shouldn't have left like that, my apologies..."

"There's no need to apologize" Sarutobi cut him off. "I can understand your concern and have already explained the likely situation to the academy officials. So now, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?" Iruka prompted Naruto forward, nudging him closer to the desk at which Sarutobi sat.

"Naruto, can you please tell the Hokage everything you've explained to me so far?" Naruto took a deep gulp and after a few reassuring squeezes on his shoulder from Iruka, he began to relate the story of the previous night once again.

The third seemed to react in a similar manner as Iruka had, nodding his head in silent understanding as Naruto explained and questioning him every so often. After another daunting retake on the terrible events that had transpired the night before, Naruto finally finished with a wavering sigh and a well-hidden sob.

"So, that's how it happened" The Sandaime sighed, pushing into the back of his chair.

"Naruto, I would kindly ask that you step outside for a moment so that your sensei and I can speak about this matter." Naruto nodded reluctantly, not wanting to leave the protection of the only one who had willingly cared for him. He then slowly headed out the door, leaving his two seniors to their privacy. Once he had closed the door behind him, Sarutobi returned his attention to Iruka once more.

"So Iruka, judging by the look on your face, I'm sure you have come up with your own theory about what happened last night." The chunin nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, that is correct. I suspect that the warden fell into a genjutsu of Naruto's making, but we both know that academy students of his level don't have the chakra control to handle such advanced techniques." Sarutobi took a puff from his newly lit pipe, allowing the taste of flavored tobacco leaves to linger on top of his tongue for a few moments before releasing it with a deep sigh.

"Do you think the nine-tailed fox has something to do with this?" Iruka shook his head, much to the aging Hokage's relief.

"No. From what I can tell by Naruto's explanation, as well as my own observations of the boy's behavior, I suspect an advanced bloodline may be involved." Sarutobi's eyes widened in surprise at that, his intrigue now reaching new levels altogether.

"An advanced bloodline you say?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, I suspect it may be a doujutsu related bloodline of some sort, although I've also noticed a strange sensation when coming into physical contact with Naruto as well. The only problem is, I haven't heard of any other doujutsus outside of the Sharingan, Byakugan and Rinnegan and the third one is only rumored to exist as a legend."

The Hokage then stood from his desk and walked over to where the Iruka was situated.

"Just because we haven't discovered something yet, doesn't mean it isn't there. There are many hidden bloodlines that we still don't know about. Entire generations of clans have often passed in and out of existence without anyone ever learning their secrets, so it is a possibility for Naruto to hold such heritage as well. I will get Kurenai to have a look at the boy. If this was indeed a genjutsu of some sort, she may be able to uncover how it was executed. In the mean time, I want you to prepare Naruto for his return to the orphanage. I expect..."

"**WHAT?!"** Iruka cut him off abruptly.

"Are you really going to send him back there after what they did to him!? How can you even think that!?" Sarutobi shot Iruka a deadly glance, instantly silencing his protests in their tracks.

"Iruka, I know how you feel about this matter and I understand your concern, but I won't have Naruto living on the streets. It's simply too dangerous for a young boy his age, especially considering his status and the hatred directed towards him. As much as I hate it as well, there is simply no one else in the village that will take on the boy and I cannot force another family to care for him. It is the only place I can keep him under some form of surveillance. I'll try to keep tabs on him for safety reasons but we have no other..."

"**No!"** Iruka interrupted once more. "We do have another choice. I can't allow Naruto to live on the streets either, but I won't see him back at the very orphanage that made his life a misery in the first place. It will tear him apart, having to go back there after all these years of torture at their hands."

The Hokage raised his eyebrows curiously, wondering what it was that Iruka had planned for the boy. The chunin's eyes quickly hardened their gaze thereafter, clearly displaying his newly formed resolve as well as the iron will that had now settled into his heart. He had made his decision, he knew what he had to do.

"Naruto... he can live with me. I'll take care of him from now onwards."

--

**AN:** I know the first few chapters of my story will not be very action packed, but I assure you there will be more of that later on. XD

And yes, I do realize that Naruto is very OOC right now, but I think my reasoning behind his current behavior is obvious enough. (How would any kid act, coming from the same situation?)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD


	3. Chapter 3 A New Home

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

--

**Chapter 3 - A New Home  
**

The bitter, invigorating smell of burning tobacco drifted around the office of the third Hokage as the old man pulled another deep draw from his smoldering pipe. He slowly rocked into the back of his chair, allowing his tired thoughts to run through the disturbing conversation he just had with Iruka. The old man knew how the minds of people worked and also what they were capable of and there were a few things that troubled him about what he had just learned.

For one thing, the potential discovery of a new bloodline in Naruto Uzumaki could have dramatic consequences for the young boy's life. If anyone learned that he contained such a bloodline many would call for the boy's death, fearing what he may use it to achieve. Some may even seek to use him for their own purposes or try to incorporate him into their own clan's bloodline as well.

Neither one of these events boded well for someone so young and vulnerable, especially after everything he had been through already. Add to that the fact that he was also the sole container for the very monster that almost destroyed their village and you have a recipe for disaster.

It was a grave situation indeed. It was highly likely that word of the hospitalized warden would leek into the village, causing panic amongst it's occupants as well as more nightmares for Naruto. There was nothing the old man could do to prevent it from happening, no matter how many procedures he put into place to stop it. Even though the laws that kept Naruto's identity as the container for the monster fox had been honored, people still found a way to get to the boy where it hurt the most.

Nothing the Sandaime said or did would change that fact. Sarutobi could only pray that Iruka knew what he was doing by taking on such a burdened soul. The chunin's own life would now be in danger as well if anyone sought to harm Naruto.

Sarutobi slowly pulled himself up from his desk and walked over to the nearby window, looking out over the entire village as the last remnants of sunlight slowly faded from existence to make way for the night sky. He knew the academy was holding an assessment exam the next day to see which students would be allowed to advance into the next stage of shinobi training and he wasn't sure if Naruto was in the right emotional state to complete it.

If what Iruka had told him was correct, the neglect he received his entire life so far had a massive effect on his schooling as well as his relationships with those around him, the latter of which he didn't have until the recently forged one with Iruka. It had only been a few minutes since the two had left the tower, but he could already feel his stomach knotting in discomfort.

--

As the cool night sky slowly descended over the village of Konoha, two pairs of shuffling feet slowly made their way down her relatively empty streets, wandering almost aimlessly in silence. Naruto wanted to ask Iruka what he had spoken to the Hokage about, but he knew that it was probably for the better that he didn't know straight away. The boy allowed his thoughts to wander on everything that had happened that day, from his first hug with Iruka to the precious gifts he had received on the man's behalf. His life had taken a turn for the unexpected and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it now.

On one hand, he was now free from the prison that was his orphanage, finally free from cruelty and beatings that he was forced to endure every night. However, on the other hand, he would now be forced to endure a different kind of danger all together in the lonely darkness of Konoha's streets. He would now have to learn to survive on his own, learn to endure the cold whether and harsh elements with nothing more than the clothes on his back to protect him.

The young boy looked up to the darkening sky only to shudder in discomfort, noticing the rain clouds that had already begun to gather over the village.

"Well... it looks like I'm gonna get wet again tonight." He sighed, looking back down to the dusty path beneath him.

Naruto began to mentally prepare himself for the long night ahead, at least he wouldn't be beaten any more. The rain was a small evil to suffer if it meant saving himself from the pain of the cruel wardens. Iruka eyes soon wondered over at the slouching form beside him and he quickly placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder stopping Naruto in his tracks before stepping out in front of the blond. Naruto's eyes locked with his sensei's face, filled with surprise and curiosity as the man crouched down in front of him.

"I... Iruka-sensei, what's wrong? Why are we stopping? If you want to go now... I understand." Iruka took a deep breath in preparation for what was about to happen and then looked into Naruto's blue stare, searching inside his heart for the words he needed to say.

"Naruto... I… I don't want to see you living on the streets anymore, it's just not right that a kid like you should have to stay out in the cold. I've decided... well actually I wanted to know... if you'd like to live with me?"

Naruto's eyes widened in complete shock at the sound of what he just heard. He felt his heart plummet in his chest as he tried to digest exactly what Iruka meant by that. Inside his normally blue orbs, a glimmering shine of gold momentarily flashed back at his chunin sensei. Iruka, noticing his surprise, quickly continued to explain.

"The third Hokage has already given me permission to take you in, I just need your permission first. So, what do you say?"

As Iruka's hand continued to squeeze the surprised boy's shoulder, he began to feel his emotions stir once again. Except this time he didn't feel any pain, fear or sadness. This time he felt warmth, like a sudden glimmer of sunlight had brushed against his body, gently caressing his soul in it's promising warmth and light. He also felt a bit of uncertainty, as though Naruto's mind was trying to tell him that this was to good to be true.

"Iruka-sensei... do you... do you really mean that? C... can I r... really come live with you?" The chunin nodded with a warm smile, which quickly prompted the boy into tears.

"But why? Why would you do that for me? No-one else ever wanted me... so why?" Iruka took another deep breath before explaining.

"The truth is, Naruto, that you've become an important person to me as well. I cannot watch as one of my precious students lives a life of pain and loneliness any more. I would be happy to have you in my house..."

Before the man could finish his sentence, Naruto threw his arms around his sensei, squeezing as tightly as his small quivering body could manage. The surprised chunin took a moment to gather himself from the sudden burst of emotions he felt coming through Naruto's touch and began to return the hug with all the love and warmth he could muster.

"I'll take that as a yes then...?"

Naruto just silently nodded on his shoulders while the tears continued to stream from his eyes, being unable to find any other words to express himself in his failing voice. However, words were no longer necessary, Iruka could already feel what was going through his heart. The pain and grief he felt earlier that day was now replaced with a sudden spurt of warmth and appreciation unlike that he had ever experienced before.

"Oh Naruto, I just wish I could have seen what was happening sooner. I could have stopped it before it went to far, but now I'm going to do everything I can to fix that mistake." Naruto didn't want to let go of the embrace, he didn't want to leave the comforting arms of his sensei, even as the small trickles of rain slowly began to form around them, gently caressing their bodies with their cool, massaging tingle. After a few minutes of warm embrace, Iruka reluctantly pulled out of the hug and locked gaze with the boy's tearful eyes once again.

"I think we should hurry home, we don't want you catching a cold now do we?" Naruto nodded silently, still unable to find his voice, only this time with a newly reformed smile spread clearly across his face. He then gently took hold of Iruka's outstretched hand with his own small fingers, squeezing tightly in the fear of letting go.

The light drizzle that tickled against them soon grew into a heavy downpour as the two proceeded to run through the streets as fast as their feet could carry them, desperately trying to avoid getting soaked as they made their way from cover to cover. Naruto seemed to be lost in the excitement of all his emotions and the seemingly fun game they were playing. The boy even managed a few joyful chuckles every time they quickly sprinted through a small stretch of rain to the nearest shelter, slowly inching their way closer to home.

That's when it hit Naruto. Home, he was finally going to have a home.

It was something the boy had always dreamed about during his hellish days at spent in his prison. He would always watch as one of the other children made their way out of the orphanage with new parents holding their hands, wishing that someday, someone would find it in their hearts to come and save him from his nightmare. Now, all his prayers were finally coming true and the tears of joy in that found their way into Naruto's eyes were only hidden by the rain that gently washed over his face.

After a short while, the two finally arrived at a house that sat further down on the outskirts of the village, removed slightly from the other cluttered buildings that crowded the rest of Konoha. It was Iruka's family home, once belonging to his parents before they tragically died. It even had a small garden surrounding it, neatly closed of by a low standing wooden fence. Naruto, however, didn't really have time to admire the exterior of his new home as he was quickly rushed up to its entrance.

Iruka grabbed a key from his pocket and proceeded to unlock the door, flashing a quick smile down towards the excited boy beside him. He then opened the entrance and turned on the light, revealing the inviting interior for his pupil to see. Naruto felt his heart leap into his throat as his eyes wondered around the spacious interior, he had never been so excited in all his life. He just wanted to burst into the room and explore every inch of the house, but before the boy could even move Iruka prompted him into taking his muddy footwear off at the doorway.

The chunin sensei helped Naruto undo his black sandals and then took his hand to show him around the house. He could feel the rush of emotions running through his own body as Naruto looked with amazement into each room, first exploring the living area and then the kitchen and bathrooms.

The house was decently sized for all intents and purposes, sporting three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living area, a kitchen and even a small study. Although it was by no means a mansion, it had the makings of a nice family home, which it most certainly was at one point in the past. After a few more gasps of wonder and some unintentional squeezes from Naruto's hand, Iruka finally led the boy into one of the larger bedrooms.

"This is my room…" He murmured softly, watching as Naruto's eyes explored the walls and floor around him. "It used to be my parents before... well, before they died a few years ago."

Naruto's eyes rose up to meet his sensei's noticing the way Iruka's own gaze seemed to fall into a blank stare as the memories of his parents began to revisit him once more. The chunin quickly shook off those feelings, however, when he noticed Naruto's growing discomfort.

"Hehehe... well I guess I should show you your..."

"Was it hard?" Naruto cut him off. Iruka scratched his head in confusion, trying to decipher the boy's question. "You know. When your mom and dad died, it must have been really sad."

Iruka didn't know what to say or how to explain it, he just continued to stare at the longing blue eyes that locked in his gaze. There was a brief moment of silence before Naruto turned his head to face the ground again, speaking once again in a near whisper.

"I... never knew my mom and dad but I always wondered what they were like. I always imagined them being kind and loving, like the ones I used to watch walking down the side of the street by my room. In my dreams, they would be holding me in their arms and telling me how proud they were to have me as their son."

Iruka began to notice the tears falling down the side of Naruto's cheeks, but he didn't have to see them to know what Naruto was feeling inside. The boy let out a few drawn out sobs and then looked back up again, meeting Iruka's gaze once more.

"If I ever had the chance to meet my dad... I'd have wanted him to be just like you Iruka-sensei." The chunin felt his heart disappear into his stomach as his eyes widened in surprise. He gave off a warm, grateful grin that was soon matched by Naruto's own growing smile.

"Come…" Iruka whispered softly. "There's one more thing I need to show you."

He then led Naruto out of his room and down the hallway once again. After taking a few steps further towards their destination, they arrived at one last door that Naruto hadn't seen yet. iruka then let go of the boy's hand and placed his own hand on Naruto's back, urging him forward.

"Go ahead, open it."

Naruto took a deep gulp and then placed his hand on the doorknob. He gently turned it and heard a click as it opened, revealing the interior inside. Naruto slowly entered into the room to see a small bed standing in the left hand corner next to a large window. There was also a wooden shelf next to it and some cupboards on the wall to his right. Iruka followed in behind him and put his hands on the boy's shoulders, gently squeezing them as they stood there in silence.

"This used to be my room when I was just a boy. I have so many fond memories in this very place. Now... now it belongs to you Naruto."

Naruto felt a warm sensation fill in his heart as he looked over his new room. He slowly made his way up to the bed in front of him and ran his fingers through the soft blankets that covered its surface. It was nothing like the cold, damp, tattered prison he used to live in at the orphanage. It felt safe and warm, like he had always imagined a real home would be. Iruka himself couldn't help but smile as Naruto jumped up onto his bed, letting his feet dangle off the side as they playfully swayed back and forth underneath him.

The boy then looked back up to his sensei and boasted the biggest grin he could muster, playfully bouncing up and down on the soft mattress he sat on. It was then that Iruka noticed that the bruises that once circled his eyes were now barely visible under the warm, artificial light that bathed them. The chunin walked up to Naruto and knelt down in front of him, inspecting his whiskered face with a smile and then sighing in relief.

"So, what do you think? Like your knew home?" Naruto's answer came in a wordless form as he leapt from the bed and into Iruka's arms, almost toppling over the stunned chunin. Naruto's excited chuckle was muffled out as he dug his head into Iruka's shoulder and soon the boy was once again allowing himself to happily sob in the man's arms. He still couldn't believe what was happening, still wondering if it was just a cruel dream sent to torture him as he slept next to a dumpster, but somehow he knew it was real. For the first time in his life, Naruto felt like he had the family that he always wanted.

"T... thanks dad." He mumbled as his body shook with brief sobs. When he felt Iruka jump slightly he realized what he had just said and quickly pulled away from the hug.

"I... Iruka-sensei, I'm sorry... I didn't meant to..." Iruka put his finger on the boy's lips to silence him and smiled warmly. He then placed his hand on the boy's cheek and gently stroked it.

"It's alright Naruto. If you really want to, I don't mind if you call me dad." Naruto pulled back slightly, leaving the reach of Iruka's hand.

"I... I don't think I should. I mean you've already done so much for me already, I don't want to make you do something for me that you can't."

Although it pained Naruto inside, he could feel Iruka's discomfort when he mentioned the word 'dad'. He knew he couldn't ask Iruka to be his father if the chunin wasn't ready for that. Maybe he would never be ready. Iruka just nodded uncomfortably in understanding and then stood up to his feet once more.

"I'll… go and get us both some dinner. Why don't you get a feel for your new room in the mean time?" Naruto silently nodded in approval and watched as Iruka made his way out the door, before gently closing it behind him. The boy then walked over to his bed and jumped up onto its surface again, before looking out the window as the rain continued to fall outside.

--

Iruka slowly made his way towards the kitchen, desperately trying to shake off the terrible guilt he now felt pulling at his heart. The boy wanted a family so desperately that he called his sensei 'dad' without even realizing it. It pained Iruka to even think about the loneliness Naruto must have endured all his life to have brought him into such a desperate need for acceptance. At least the chunin had the memories of his parents to comfort him and keep him going, Naruto had nothing except for a desperate dream. The only memories he had, were those filled with pain and sadness and he could not turn to them for comfort.

Only his dreams of the future gave the boy any hope, a future that Iruka wasn't sure he could grant Naruto, as much as he wanted to see him happy. The boy was so desperate to find a father figure to hold onto, a role model that he could follow after and look up to and Iruka simply didn't now if he was the right person to fill that important role.

The man willed himself out of his negative thoughts and set some water to the boil, while pouring two sachets of noodle soup into a cup for him and Naruto. Once the kettle gave off its sharp whistle, signifying that it had come to a boil, he poured the hot water into the mixture and then carried it off to Naruto's room.

--

Naruto was sitting quietly on his bed with his legs huddled up against his chest, watching outside the window as the rain continued to fall past it in an endless downpour. It was the same thing he used to do when he was living at the orphanage and with it came an sudden sense of overwhelming dread. He couldn't help but feel a sickening fear filling his body up with a paralyzing tension. Every night one of the wardens would come into his room and beat him. Every night he would scream out with pain as he drowned in his own blood and tears.

Right up until last night, that had been his life, his hell... his reality and now he couldn't help but feel like it was going to happen all over again. He was so used to it happening by now, that the boy half expected someone to walk through the door right at that moment and start torturing him.

Just then, as if to taunt his fears, the door began to slowly creek open. Naruto instinctively jumped up from his bed and quickly stood against the wall as he had always done before, cringing in fear as two feet slowly stepped inside.

When Iruka finally came into view, Naruto felt his heart drop and he began to quiver violently. Iruka caught sight of the boy's panicked eyes as he pressed himself against the hard surface behind him, while he whimpered silently in his fears.

"N… Naruto... what's wrong?"

Naruto's quivering legs gave way underneath him and he collapsed to the floor in tears, prompting Iruka to quickly place the warm cups of noodle soup down and rush to his side. As he crouched down next to Naruto he put his hand out to grab him, but the boy quickly pulled away with a panicked yelp.

"No... I don't... want to be... hurt any more, please... don't hurt me...!" Naruto yelled, sinking his face into his knees. Iruka moved closer again and placed his hand on Naruto's back, gently stroking it in reassurance.

"Naruto, I'm not going to hurt you. No-one is going to hurt you any more, you're safe now. I wont let anything happen to you." Naruto rocked back and forth in his sobs, his quivers slowly lessening as Iruka's hand rubbed against his back. It was almost as though he could feel his sensei's sincerity, because very soon he was desperately holding onto the chunin once more.

Iruka gently swayed from side to side as Naruto rested in his arms, desperately trying to calm his nerves. After the worst of it was over, he picked the quivering boy up from the floor and placed him on his bed before walking over to the shelf to fetch the soup. He walked back to the bed and sat down at its side, handing Naruto his own cup.

"Here, have some of this. It will help make you fell better."

Naruto held the soup in his shaking hands and gave himself a moment to calm down, slowly sipping at the warm broth to help ease his nerves. After a few more agonizing moments had passed and a few more spoken words of reassurance from Iruka, the boy finally regained his grip on reality. His quivering began to lessen and his tears were pressed back into his eyes. Iruka looked at him with a saddened expression, one that hid the excruciating amount of fury he held inside.

He was almost afraid to touch the boy again, not wanting to pass his hateful emotions onto the already tortured soul. If it weren't for the fact that he was hosting an exam the next day, the chunin would have been leading an entire squadron of sadistic, murderous ninja over to that damned orphanage. Surely Anko knew some friends that were just as psychotic as she was, or at least half way there. The chunin once again had to brush off his plots for revenge as Naruto finished slurping down his soup.

The boy gave another murmured 'thank you' before Iruka took his cup from his hands. This was going to be more difficult than he originally thought. Naruto had a lot of emotional scars to work through and they weren't just going to disappear overnight. Iruka would have to be there for him every step of the way if he was ever going to recover properly and live a decently normal life. He only hoped it wasn't too late for the boy to find the kind of happiness he yearned for so desperately.

The man walked off to the kitchen and placed the dirty cups into the sink. He then made his way back into Naruto's room to find the boy already covered under his blankets, facing out the window again as he lay on his side. The chunin walked over to the boy and sat on his bed once more. He then began to gently stroke Naruto's back, trying to search for any emotions that would tell him what the boy was feeling. Much to Iruka's relief it seemed that's exactly what he felt... relief.

Having reassured himself of Naruto's stability, he began to pick himself up to leave for his own bed for the night, but before he could move Naruto quietly called out to him.

"Iruka-sensei, do you think the exam tomorrow will be hard?" Iruka gave out a deep sigh. At least the boy's mind was now on something other than that blasted orphanage.

"I'm not sure how difficult it's going to be but I do know that you need to get some sleep if you want to do well." Naruto nodded his head in understanding and then whispered one more time.

"Iruka-sensei... can you... I mean if you don't mind... please can you wait here until I fall asleep?" Iruka placed his hand reassuringly on Naruto's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"Sure thing kiddo."

Luckily for Iruka, it didn't take long before exhaustion had its way with Naruto, quickly pulling him into the trance of a deep sleep. Once The chunin could see his breathing steady, he gave a muffled yawn of his own, signifying his increasing exhaustion.

'_Who ever thought that looking after a kid could be so tiring?'_

Iruka then carefully got up from Naruto's side, making sure not to wake the boy in his moevements, and made his way back to his own room, gently closing the door behind him once more on his way out.

Once he was finally able to reach the comfort of his own bed, Iruka found that he could hardly sleep at all. There were too many discomforting thoughts flowing through his mind and they were all definitely about Naruto. The third Hokage was going to send Kurenei to inspect the boy, but Iruka wasn't sure how cooperative Naruto would be with a complete stranger.

Another thing that bothered him was the fact that bloodlines are often only activated when their holder is subject to severe emotional distress or physical pain. He just hoped that genjutsu master wouldn't subject Naruto to any more stress in order to uncover his secrets.

Iruka tried to brush off his feeling and inner turmoil and closed his eyes to sleep. It was going to be a big day tomorrow and he had to be well prepared for the coming exam.

--

**AN:** I hope that was a good chapter! It was quite a heartfelt one for me to write but now it's done.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD


	4. Chapter 4 Examination Day

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Alright, it's the day of the academy advancement exams. Will Naruto be able to pass to the next level of shinobi training, or will his dreams for the future be shattered in a single moment.

Read and find out!

Hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)

--

**Chapter 4 - Examination Day**

As the early morning sunlight slowly began to once again pierce through the last remnants of rain clouds, its gentle caress slowly brushed against the whiskered face of a quietly sleeping boy. Naruto stirred beneath the warm embrace that met his face, shuffling slowly under his blankets and pulling them up to cover his eyes from the brightness of the light's glow.

He didn't want to wake up just yet, he didn't want to leave the soft comfort of his newfound bed. Naruto had never slept so well in his life before and all he wanted was to let the moment last for as long as possible. Back at the orphanage, the damp sheets that covered his battered body barely protected him from the cold night air that whispered over his exposed skin, and the bed he slept on was hardly suitable lie in with its failing rigid structure.

However, that was no longer the case at all, not any more. This bed was soft and warm, unlike anything he had ever felt before and Naruto was content to just lie there in comfort forever.

Unfortunately for this young boy, fate had a way of turning things around on Naruto and very soon his bedroom door sprang open, rather loudly, to let a very cheery Iruka inside.

"Good morning Naruto, it's time to wake up and get ready for school! We've got a big day ahead of us and we don't want to be late."

Naruto just grumbled a chain of incoherent words under the muffling fabric of his blanket before shifting once more, still hiding beneath its warm, comforting hold. Iruka just rolled his eyes in response to the obvious defiance and let out an amused sigh, before walking over to the boy's bed.

He then sat down next to Naruto and pulled the top of the blanket down to expose his contorting face, almost allowing a brief, stifled laugh to escape his lips as the amusing sight met his eyes. Naruto, however, simply cringed in the ensuing light and quickly covered his eyes with his arms in an effort to hide himself from the sun's waking gaze.

"Just a few more minutes Iruka-sensei" He mumbled tiredly, trying to pull the blankets up over himself again. Iruka shook his head at the boy's efforts, but still could not help the warm smile that spread across his lips.

"Naruto... you do remember it's the day of your exam don't you? We wouldn't want you to be late now, would we?" Naruto wearily opened his eyes again and let out a deflated sigh, scowling as he folded his arms in defeat.

"Alright, alright... fine, I'll get up now."

Iruka's smile widened even more as he watched the boy reluctantly pick himself up off the bed, before rubbing his eyes in an effort to remove the fatigue that seemed to latch onto his vision. The chunin's gaze then moved over to quickly searched his body for any signs of injury and much to his delight, Naruto didn't show any more marks from the abuse he had endured.

'_He's healed pretty quickly, in fact its unnatural how fast his wounds have recovered, but I am just happy to see him finally getting better.'_

Once Naruto was finally on his feet again, the two then stumbled out of the room and into the hallway. Iruka then turned to look down at the youngster standing next to him, before rubbing the boy's hair affectionately and eliciting a brief smile for his efforts.

"Alright, I'll fix us some breakfast while you go and clean yourself up. You know where the bathroom is right?"

Naruto gave a sleepy nod and then stumbled down the hallway into one of the said rooms, before closing the door behind him, after which Iruka went on his own way a well.

Once inside the bathroom, Naruto slowly removed his clothes and stepped into the shower, before turning on the tap to allow the water's flow to begin caressing his body. At first, he just stood there for a while, allowing the warm, invigorating spray to wash away the last remnants of his fatigue and revive his tired muscles. He was not used to the luxury of warm water and he couldn't help but get absorbed into a trance by the sensations he was experiencing.

As he stood there, enjoying the tingling sensation brushing up against his skin, as well as the reviving heat that filed his muscles, Naruto slowly began to inspect his body, trying to search for the cuts and bruises he had received during his warden's last 'visit'. Much to his surprise and relief, there were no more marks on his body and the wounds he received seemed to have completely disappeared.

After one more overview, the boy then placed his hands against his ribs, before gently pushing against them to feel for any discomfort, but there was no shooting pain to be felt and the fractures he had sustained seemed to have disappeared altogether.

This was all a little bit confusing for Naruto. He wasn't sure how he could be fine after just a single day of recovery, but he quickly brushed off his thoughts on the matter. Right now, he had an exam to prepare for and it would do little good if he were late for class.

After washing himself off and cleaning up, Naruto jumped out of the shower with a renewed vigor and wrapped himself up in a towel. He quickly darted across the hallway and over to his room once again. Once he was inside, he then proceeded to search through his cupboards and got dressed in the new clothes that Iruka had brought for him, which now filled his wardrobe to the brim.

Once he was done, he turned around once more, ready to make his way out where Iruka was preparing there breakfast, but before he made it to the door, something caught his attention, bringing his eyes down to the wooden floor that met at his feet. There, sitting at the base of his bed, were Naruto's now clean black sandals waiting neatly positioned for him to put on.

Iruka had obviously washed the mud off of them from the previous nights trip through the rain and had gotten them ready for Naruto to wear. The boy simply let out a heartfelt sigh and smiled at the sight of all the effort given for his sake and he couldn't help the sudden warmth that filled his heart.

He never had someone to look after him like this before. No-one would ever go out of their way to make sure he had what he needed and the overwhelming sense of joy that rushed through his chest could not be described in words. Naruto promised himself to give his sensei a big hug when he saw him again, that much the man deserved in the least.

After strapping on his sandals, Naruto walked out of his room and down towards the kitchen, where the tantalizing smells of cooked food began to draw him into an excited trance. As he entered inside the warm sunlit room, his eyes caught gaze of his sensei, who was still slaving over a heated stove.

Naruto slowly crept across the open space that separated the two and snuck up behind the man, before finally throwing his arms around his waist and squeezing as tightly as his strength could manage. The chunin jumped in surprise from his sudden touch and the emotions he had felt rushing into him, almost burning himself on the stove in the process, but he quickly recovered once he realized who it was.

"Hey, what's this all about?" He smiled, turning to look down at the brightly smiling face bellow him.

"Oh, I just wanted to.... to say thank you for everything you're doing for me." Naruto replied sheepishly.

Iruka turned around in the boy's arms and then ruffled his hair, gaining another excited giggle from the blond as he did so. He could feel all of Naruto's happiness flowing through into his own body and it was a comforting emotion for the chunin to experience coming from the youngster.

"Alright kiddo, go and sit down at the table in the meantime. Breakfast will be ready in a few moments."

Naruto did as his sensei ordered and hopped over to the nearest chair before plonking himself down and waiting in eager anticipation, teased by the invigorating smells of Iruka's obviously proficient cooking. If it was anything like the food he had the previous day, it would be heaven all over again.

After a few more minutes had passed, Iruka walked up to the table carrying a tray in his hand. He placed it down on the wooden surface and handed Naruto his breakfast, as well as a glass of milk for the boy to drink. By most standards it was a nicely prepared meal, consisting of a few rice cakes, some dumplings and warm buttered toast, but to Naruto, however, it was extraordinary.

After so many years of stale bread and cold leftovers, this breakfast was as spectacular a meal as the boy could ever imagine and the excited grin on his face was evidence enough to betray his obvious excitement.

Iruka simply watched on with a glowing smile as Naruto hastily gulped down the tasty morsels of food, pausing only to wash it down with an exhausted sip from his milk. The boy's face was once again filled with small scraps of food as he finished his meal with a hearty grin.

After downing of the last of his milk and wiping his face clean with a cloth, he helped Iruka clean up the table and took his dishes to the sink. If this was how it was going to be every morning, Naruto was definitely looking forward to a life in his new home. It was the simple everyday pleasures that most people take for granted that filled the empty hole in Naruto's tortured heart.

Once the two finished washing the dishes, sharing a few playful splashes between them in the process, Iruka helped Naruto put on his backpack and placed the boy's lunch box snuggly inside. The two then made their way out of the house and headed towards the academy, walking past the bustling stores and workshops that littered the side of the road.

As they slowly walked down the dusty streets of Konoha, a few convicting glances were spared in their direction. Naruto, having noticed some of the shallow eyes that held him in their glare, slowly inched himself closer to Iruka who in turn placed his hand around the boy's shoulder shield him from their gaze.

Luckily for Naruto, it didn't take long before they found themselves stumbling upon the relative safety of the academy grounds. The blond took a deep breath and then let out a heavy sigh of relief, feeling his tension melt away from his body. A few more curious stares were pointed at the two as Iruka walked to his classroom with Naruto under his arm, followed by whispers in-between the other students that filled the hallways.

Iruka wasn't bothered by any of that, but the feelings flowing from the boy beside him told the chunin that Naruto was growing uncomfortable. It was made even worse when they actually walked into the room in which his fellow classmates were waiting. The curious glares almost overwhelmed the boy completely as he made his way out of Iruka's protective shield and up to his usual seat. After a few more passing whispers amongst the other students, Iruka cleared his throat to call for silence and then sat at his desk.

"You're a bit late Iruka, what kept you?"

Iruka looked over to see the friendly face of Mizuki grinning smugly back at him, who was already sitting in a chair beside him, waiting for the chunin's arrival. The silver haired instructer was to be his assistant during the course of the exam, helping to observe the students in case of any infringements and to offer his own advice when necessary.

Iruka shared a brief smile with the man who he had long considered to be a friend and then turned to face his class.

"I had a few... things to take care of this morning. Besides, we're still waiting for word on the topic of today's jutsu test so we still have time to spare."

"Oh, didn't you hear Iruka?" Mizuki retorted, slouching into the back of his chair. "Today's exam is a written test, I've already received the papers so we can begin immediately."

Iruka felt his heart plummet at the sound of Mizuki's words. This was big trouble, Naruto could hardly even read properly much less write anything. How on earth would he stand a chance of passing? The scarred chunin watched on with a heavy heart as Mizuki stood from his chair and proceeded to hand out the exam papers to the students.

As the silver haired chunin passed Naruto's seat, he could see the sudden alarm etched onto the boy's panicked face. He even noticed the same flash of gold in his eyes that seemed to appear whenever Naruto was in a state of emotional distress.

He just wished he could just go over and squeeze Naruto's shoulder in reassurance and tell him everything would be alright, but the chunin had to remain at his desk throughout the remainder of the test.

Once Mizuki was done with his allotted task, he walked back down and sat next to his counterpart once more. He then looked up at the clock on the wall and waited for the right time. Once its hour hand reached eight, he called out to the class.

"Begin!"

--

Naruto picked up his pencil at the sound of the academy instructor's signal and began to look over the paper set in front of him. He desperately tried to make out the sentences etched on it's white surface, moving his lips as his eyes scanned over each line. But, as hard as the boy tried, he could only recognize a few of the shorter words in between.

Naruto's hand began to quiver in fear as he moved onto the next question, trying to find anything he would have a hope of understanding. Even if he could get just a few of the questions right, it may be enough for the boy to pass, but much like the last one Naruto couldn't make out what it said. His face began to cringe in frustration, he couldn't allow himself to fail now.

Being a shinobi was the only dream he had left and that dream was about to be dragged through the mud once again, just like the boy who held onto it so desperately. It almost seemed as though the world wanted Naruto to fail, to fall to his knees and admit defeat even when he finally thought things were getting better.

Iruka's gaze was firmly locked onto the young boy as his body tightened in desperation. He could see the pain and frustration in Naruto's blue eyes and he couldn't help but feel an anguished knot forming in his own stomach at the mere sight of his distress. Mizuki noticed the chunin's intensely focused gaze and looked to share in his view. After recognizing the object of his concern, the silver haired chunin closed his eyes and supported his chin on top of his hands.

"He looks... nervous doesn't he?" the man mumbled, shaking Iruka out of his trance. "It's almost like he's completely lost and doesn't know what to do with himself."

Iruka just bowed his head in silent defeat, as if to confirm Mizuki's growing suspicions, while praying for the two hours to pass by quickly so that this nightmarish torture could end.

"You... don't know the half of it." After that, the rest of the times was spent in silence between the two, as they waited for the test to end.

Naruto had just about looked through the entire paper that was set out to him and he still hadn't found a single question he could answer. The amount of frustration that grew in the boy's heart was soon flooded out with sadness and grief. Tears of both anger and frustration began to form in his eyes despite his efforts to hold them back, ones that he desperately tried to hide despite himself, but before long they began leaking down the side of his face and onto the white sheet that locked in his gaze.

The hand that held his pencil was now trembling violently as he desperately tried to compose himself and remain calm. He couldn't allow the others to see him cry. It was like he was admitting he was a failure, giving in to all their taunts and name calling that he had endured for so long.

'_Maybe they were right, maybe I am just a failure.'_ Naruto thought quietly to himself.

As much as he tried to hold back his tears, his emotions soon got the better of him and soon he was just sitting there, staring blankly at the increasingly soaked sheet of paper that barred him from his dreams.

--

"Time!"

As Mizuki called out for the end of the examination that marked the next chapter in the academy students lives as shinobi in training, each of the youngsters began to make their way from their desks and out of the classroom once more. A few fleeting glances were spared in Naruto's direction as the other kids walked down to the front of the class and out the door, but the boy just sat there quietly despite it, frozen in his seat while the fresh tears still clung onto his whiskered face.

"I'll leave the rest to you then Iruka-san." Mizuki huffed calmly, before rising up from his seat.

"Besides, it looks like he may need some help…" The chunin then made his way out the classroom, leaving a highly concerned Iruka behind to collect the exams for marking.

The man didn't move for a while as the class fell into a sudden silence. He just sat there, watching as his student continued to quiver and sob in his chair, with his heavy breaths being the only noise to break the deadly quiet that had enraptured them both.

After a few fleeting moments and a deeply anguished sigh on his part, he finally got up from his desk and walked up to Naruto's seat. As he made his way up to the boy's side, he noticed the paper beneath him had been completely soaked in his tears, it's blank pages devoid of any writing. Iruka took hold of Naruto's quivering hand soon afterwards and gently removed the pencil from his unrelenting grip.

The sheer amount of sadness and grief he could feel emanating from the boy's touch at that very moment was almost too overwhelming for the chunin to bare. Iruka himself wondered how a boy his age could deal with so much pain inside his heart for so long, but the answer was one he didn't want to think about and in truth he realized that Naruto had not managed at all.

Naruto was simply a mess, nothing more than a defeated, shattered heart that was in great need of mending, that much was certainly true. He had been broken by the years of isolation and abuse that he had endured at the hands of his caretakers and his own self-belief was now dangerously close to being destroyed completely. It was only then, in that very moment, that Iruka finally began to understand just how much damage had really been done as he continued to feel the remorse flow into his touch.

After allowing Naruto a few more moments to himself, Iruka carefully retrieved the tear-filled paper from the boy's desk and then knelt down beside the him, before placing his hand on the youngster's shoulder. The silent words that fell from Naruto's lips soon after, were riddled in his heavy breaths and wavering sobs.

"I... I couldn't... I just couldn't do it Iruka-sensei. I... couldn't...." Nauto's eyes never once wander from his desk, even as he mumbled quietly. It was almost as though he were still trying to read the words inscribed on the paper, as if still trying to decipher their meaning. Iruka felt his heart skip a beat as the heavy words pierced into his soul, it was so painful to see Naruto like this but he had to do what he could to comfort the boy.

"Naruto... it's alright. You did your best and that's all that matters. I promise I'll help you learn everything you need to know and then we can try again in six months. I'll fix this... I promise."

Naruto slowly turned to meet his sensei's gaze, only for the chunin to notice the slight shimmer of gold once again reflect his his eyes. Shortly afterwards, the boy leapt from his seat and into Iruka's arms, who quickly caught hold of him and squeezed him tighly in an effort to soothe his heavy breaths.

The chunin simply allowed Naruto's tears to fall on his shoulders, while simultaneously trying his best to ignore the overwhelming emotions that now forced themselves into his body. He tried desperately to hold his own feelings in check, to find the strength to comfort the boy in his arms, but no matter how much he struggled he could no longer restrain the raw emotions that pushed into his heart. Soon, he could feel the soft trickle of tears fall down the side of his own cheeks, tears that he didn't even know he had shed until that moment.

He knew that the tears that fell from the corners of his eyes were not his own, knowing instead they belonged to the boy in his arms, but Iruka allowed them to flow none-the-less. Even if he could only carry a small amount of Naruto's burden, he would gladly accept if it meant he could help the young boy deal with his pain.

Sometimes the best medicine one could be offered was the most difficult to swallow, and crying, letting all the pain out through shed tears, was one such medicine for a broken heart.

--

The sounds of laughter and excitement filled the small playground of the academy grounds as a young boy slowly made his way over to the nearby swing. Naruto sat on top of its small wooden frame and gently rocked himself back and forth, watching his feet as they dangled limply beneath his soulless body.

Iruka had stayed behind to collect the remaining tests in the classroom and had also since made his way to hand in the papers for marking, so Naruto was left alone in the safety of the academy playgrounds to wait until he was done. The boy almost felt lost without the father figure he had come to rely on around to protect and comfort him. Although he had been alone all these years so far, it felt like a part of his own soul had embedded itself in Iruka and now that he wasn't there the boy felt more vulnerable than ever before.

The cruel eyes that continued to stare at him coldy in the distance, despite his efforts to hide himself from their icy gaze, began to tear away at him even more until he began to feel his heart tighten in anguish under the pressure of their gaze. The boy felt like what little spirit was left in him would now be snuffed out, but before it became completely overwhelming, a lone figure suddenly moved to sit quietly beside him.

Naruto's gaze carefully shifted to his side in an effort to catch a glance of his new visitor, but to his relief, his gaze settled on a friendly looking Mizuki, who was smiling gently in his direction. The silver haired chunin began to rock his swing as well, until his motiones matched Naruto's own swaying rhythm.

"So, I guess the exam was a little tough wasn't it?" He finally began, breaking the silence that had reigned only moments before.

Naruto simply cringed in agony at the mere mention of the test, he didn't want to even think about that now. Mizuki easily noticed his negative reaction, as well as the heavy sigh that followed, and frowned down at the youngster across from him.

"That bad huh?" Naruto simply nodded in response.

"I... I didn't even answer a single question. I guess I'm just useless as a shinobi.... and as a human being. Maybe those guys at the orphanage were right to treat me like they did. Maybe I'm nothing but a pile of useless..."

Mizuki suddenly whipped around in front of Naruto and placed his hand on the boy's mouth, halting is words before he could continue.

"Don't ever say such things about yourself." He offered gently. "You were just scared, that's all. Lots of people become afraid when they're facing something they aren't sure about, but a true shinobi must rise in the face of adversity and learn from his failures, otherwise they will never grow strong."

Mizuki then took his hand off the surprised boy's mouth and flashed another reassuring smile. Naruto regarded the chunin's words carefully and then allowed a subtle smile of his own to show. It seemed those few gentle words had won Mizuki the boy's trust and the man quickly took advantage of the given opportunity to speak once more.

"You know... there is a way that you can still pass the test."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at the academy instructor's words. Seeing that he now had the boy's undivided attention, Mizuki quickly continued with his explanation, hiding the barely noticeable, satisfied grin that crept across his lips.

"It's going to be tough to pull off, but I assure you if you can do this they'll have no choice but to let you advance." Naruto quickly jumped off the swing in his excitement, almost stumbling in the process, all to eager eager to hear what the chunin would propose.

"What is it Mizuki-senei? Tell me what I need to do!" Mizuki let off a sly grin and then leaned in over to the boy's ear to whisper his plan.

"Alright, this is what you need to do, but tell no-one, not even Iruka-sensei…"

--

After the brief recess had ended, the academy students slowly made their way back to their classrooms while Iruka sat in his desk, waiting patiently for the seats in front of him to fill once more.

Once there were no more children entering through the door, he looked over his students' faces to make sure everyone was accounted for, but there was a certain blod missing from his gaze. The chunin's heart began to sink in fear when he realized that Naruto still hadn't arrived yet.

"Has... has anyone seen Naruto?" He asked calmly, searching the faces in the room for an answer. One of the children called out from the back of the class.

"Yea, I saw him! He was running out of the academy grounds just before our break ended. He's probably just gonna play another prank again like always..."

Before the boy could even hope to finish his explanation, Iruka was already sprinting out of the door, hurrying to the playground where Naruto had last been seen.

After desperately every inch of the open field, the panicked chunin left the academy grounds and searched around the rest of Konoha for the young boy. He just hoped that Naruto, in his current mental state, wouldn't do anything rash to put himself in danger.

Iruka searched everywhere he could think of to find Naruto but there was still no sign of the boy to be seen. None of the villagers he questioned were being helpful either, only snickering at the mention of the Naruto's name. Iruka even passed by the orphanage to see if he had returned there, fearful that the boy would subject himself to their tortures once more because of his feeling of inadequacy, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

After desperately searching for hours on end, exploring every inch of the village, the sun eventually descended bellow the horizon making way for the cold night sky. The scarred man was about to lose all hope of finding Naruto, stopping on one of the rooftops to catch his breath, until Mizuki suddenly appeared before him with a panicked look on his face.

"Irukai-san, thank goodness I finally found you! Lord Hokage has an urgent message! Naruto has stolen the scroll of sealing and left the village with it in his possession!"

The scarred chunin felt his heart drop as the words reached his ears and filled his mind. If what Mizuki said was true, then it was a grave situation indeed. There was only one other place Naruto might have gone too, especially if he was trying to hide. It was a secluded area, but one that Iruka himself often wandered to after he had lost his parents. The chunin gave a grateful nod to Mizuki and then took off across the rooftops, praying with all his heart that his hunch was correct.

--

Naruto felt like his heart was going to explode as he finally collapsed next to an old abandoned shed on the far side of the village. Carrying the giant scroll Mizuki had instructed him to acquire had been far more difficult than he would have expected, and the mere effort of doing so had taken fatigued him greatly.

However, the boy still managed to smile triumphantly despite his exhaustion, and after allowing himself a moment to regain his breath, he carefully removed the large scroll that he carried on his back and let out a relieved sigh.

Somehow, against all possible odds, he had managed to slip out of the Hokage tower with his prize firmly in his grasp without so much as a single witness to see his actions. Naruto could feel his chest swelling with what could be described as pride, knowing that most shinobi would have been caught attempting such a dangerous feat, but he quickly pushed away his feelings and set out to his next task. The boy quickly opened the scroll, allowing it to carefully unravel on the ground, and then began to read the first technique.

"Ka… ge Bu… Bunshi… um, bunshin… no Jutsu. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

The boy cringed in frustration as he tried to grasp the words written inside. He finally managed to make out the name of the technique but when he tried to read the instructions, his mind became lost once more.

His eyes slowly made their way over each sentence time and time again, desperately trying to remember the meaning of each symbol, but after a few more failed attempts, he sank to the ground in defeat.

"Why... why can't I just get it? Why can't I ever do anything..."

--

Iruka continued to make his way to his destination as fast as his tired muscles would allow, finally arriving at the cluster of trees that bordered a small forest at the end of the village. After traveling for a few more minutes after entering into the secluded area, he finally caught sight of the small clearing that jutted out from the dense growth that surrounded it, as well as the wooden shed that marked its centre.

There, in the middle of the open expanse, right next to the small structure, was the slouching form of a young blond boy, kneeling on the earth with his face imbedded firmly in his cupped hands. Iruka gave out a long due sigh of relief as he realized that he had finally found Naruto and then proceeded into the clearing, landing next to where the missing student knelt.

Naruto made no effort to move from his despite the sudden commotion, so Iruka motioned to place his hands on the youngster's shoulder to earn his attention, as well as the wavering and clearly upset blue eyes that moved to meet his gaze. Naruto's brows furrowed slightly into a frown once he realized who it was that had found him and the unmistakable look of disappointment was clearly noticeable in his expression.

"I... Iruka-sensei... I couldn't do it... I tried so hard but I just couldn't read it." Iruka knelt down beside the boy and locked into his desperate gaze, somewhat confused by the shaky words that fell from Naruto's mouth.

"Naruto... what are you talking about? Why did you take the scroll of sealing from the Hokage tower? Don't you know how dangerous it is?" Naruto simply wiped his eyes of the emotions that had gathered in them and then moved to close the mentioned scroll once more, before fixing its bindings back into place. He then looked back up to his sensei and let out a deep sigh.

"Mizuki-sensei told me that if I learned a technique from this scroll, that the academy would let me pass the exam. I tried my best to do it, but… but I just couldn't…" Iruka's eyes widened in surprise at the explanation and he felt his heart sink in as a sudden realization struck him.

"Mizuki... told you that?!" The chunin quickly shot back to his feet again not a second later, pulling Naruto up of the ground as well at the same time.

"Naruto, we need to get out of here quickly..."

Before the Iruka could finish, a sudden whistling sound erupted from the nearby trees. The scarred chunin quickly spun around and slammed his palm into Naruto's chest and sent the boy hurtling to the ground just before a wave of kunai flew into the his own body, pinning him up against the nearby wooden shed.

"S... so that's how it is... Mizuki." The scarred chunin quickly looked up to see the said man standing on a nearby tree.

"Hahaha! Iruka, it seems as though you're getting soft." The man sneered boastfully. "Allowing such a simple attack to take you by surprise? I must say I'm rather disappointed, but still, I'm glad you managed to lead me straight to Naruto."

Naruto simply looked between the two chunin in complete confusion, trying to discern what exactly was happening.

"W... what's going on? Why are you attacking Iruka-sensei?"

Mizuki managed a dark chuckle in response to the boy's alarm, amused by the ramblings of the innocent mind he had so easily manipulated.

"Don't you get it brat? Are you really that naive? The only reason I asked you to get the scroll was so that I could take it for myself. Of course the village would readily blame you for its disappearance, especially considering the truth about what you really are." Naruto, looked over to his sensei in his confusion, hoping that the man would make sense of Mizuki's words.

"I… Iruka-sensei, what does he mean? What is he talking about?"

"Don't listen to him Naruto!" The man cried desperately. "He's just trying to..."

"Oh stop Iruka!" Mizuki cut him off. "We both know the truth about what happened those ten years ago. That stupid rule can't protect Naruto forever." The said boy became even more confused than before.

"What are you talking about? What rule?!" By now, Naruto's panic had escalated to the point of becoming overwhelming and his heart now throbbed painfully in his chest. He didn't know what was going on, but the young boy couldn't help the sudden feeling of dread that had washed over him. The silver haired chunin that looked down at them let out another dark chuckle, relishing in the pain he could see clearly in Naruto's eyes.

"I'm sure you've heard about the monster fox that attacked our village ten years ago…" he began. "… the one that was defeated when the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to stop it. Well ever since that fateful day, a rule was passed down into the village, a rule that only you, Naruto Uzumaki, were never allowed to know about."

"Mizuki stop it! It's forbidden to say anything more!" Iruka shouted once more. Mizuki simply ignored his fellow instructor's cries and continued to focus on the boy before him.

"What was it? What was the rule?" Naruto gulped. The silver haired chunin grinned wickedly, anticipating the sight of seeing the youngster break apart before his very eyes.

"The rule was that no-one was ever allowed mention that you are in fact the Nine-tailed fox."

Naruto felt his heart clench painfully as Mizuki's words hit him square in the chest, and he couldn't help his eyes widen as the shock began to wash over him. Mizuki, seeing his reaction, simply smiled at the broken sight that met his gaze.

"That's right!" He continued." You're the very monster that almost destroyed our entire village and killed Iruka's parents. Didn't you ever wonder why everyone looked at you the way they did, why they locked you away in an orphanage and kept you from the rest of the village? Why do you think you were tortured all your life?"

Suddenly everything started to make sense for the boy. Naruto's entire life, the way he was treated so cruelly by those around him, the beatings he received at the orphanage and the pain of loss he felt when he looked in the warden's eyes, it all came together in a sickening realization.

Iruka watched on with a heavy heart as the tears began to fall from Naruto's eyes, tears that Naruto himself did not even realize he had begun to shed. He knew the boy was just simply too young to understand what was happening, too vulnerable to handle such a terrible truth so soon, and he couldn't help but cringe knowing what pain it must have caused him.

In the uneasy silence that followed, Mizuki removed one of the large Dai shuriken that was fastened firmly to the holster on his back and spun it around in his hand, the sickening grin never once falling from his expression.

"Now I'll just kill you both and take the scroll for myself. The village will declare me a hero for killing the monster and I'll just say the scroll was destroyed!" The chunin then hurled the projectile at the defenseless boy before him, who was now frozen in both fear and disbelief.

"Naruto get down!!!" Naruto instinctively reacted to his sensei's call, falling to the ground with his arms covering his head. A sickening crack sounded into the boy's ears and when he looked up again Iruka was planted firmly above him, shielding Naruto from the impending blow.

"Iruka-sensei.... why?" Iruka let out a cough of blood, wincing in pain as the sharp edge of the weapon protruded from his back.

"Be... because, you're just like me Naruto. I know what it feels like to be alone and unwanted. After I lost my parents, no-one recognized me anymore, so I acted like the class clown to gain everyone's attention. It was... so painful, but I never managed to notice you going through the same pain, I didn't pay enough attention to your sadness and grief. Maybe if I was more aware I could have acted sooner and things would have been better. I… I'm so sorry…" Mizuki jumped down from his perch and laughed in amusement.

"Hahaha! Do you really believe him Naruto? He just wants the scroll back. He doesn't care what happens to you. How could he possibly ever love the very monster that killed his parents?"

Naruto turned his head away from the chunin above him, to ashamed to even look into the man's eyes. He then shifted the sealing scroll onto his back and darted off into the woods as fast as his legs could carry him, his mind now reeling in sadness and confusion.

"**Naruto!!!" **

Iruka's cries simply fell onto deaf ears as he watched the youngster disappear from view, leaving a trail of falling tears behind his back.

"See Iruka? We both know he's going to use the scroll to get revenge on the village." Iruka slowly stood to his feet and pulled the weapon out from his back, despite the pain that rung throughout his body. He would not allow Mizu to win, he would allow Naruto to be harmed any more.

"Naruto's not like that!" He spat viciously, before hurling the projectile at a snickering Mizuki. The chunin simply dodged the attack and glanced back with a menacing smile.

"You're really pathetic if you think that monster is just going to forgive everyone that wronged him his entire life. It's better for the entire village that I kill him right now before he does anything. Once I'm done with him, I'll come back and finish you off." Mizuki then disappeared into the trees, leaving the wounded Iruka behind.

"We'll see about that!"

--

A young boy quickly rushed through the passing trees as fast as his feet could carry him, desperately trying to escape the pain and anger he felt deep inside. As he made his way from branch to branch, Iruka finally managed to somehow catch up to him. The boy looked back with narrowed eyes as the man approached his side, regarding him with a great deal of mistrust.

"Naruto, you need to give me the scroll right away!!! Mizuki is trying to take it from..."

Before the chunin could finish, Naruto leapt up from the branch he landed on and slammed his knee into the man's stomach. Iruka fell from the air soon afterwards and slammed into the ground with a resounding thud followed soon after by the tired boy that he had been chasing.

Naruto then stepped back from the struggling figure in front of him and leaned against a nearby tree, his exhaustion clearly getting the better of him.

"Naruto... how did you know? How did you know I wasn't Iruka?" The Iruka figure was enveloped in a puff of smoke, revealing the true identity of Mizuki as the henge that disguised him dissipated. Naruto let out a small chuckle before being enveloped in his own small cloud of smoke as well.

"That's because... I'm Iruka!"

Mizuki hissed angrily as the form of his chunin counterpart was revealed before him. He then stood up from the floor and wiped the blood that trickled from his mouth, scowling heavily as he realized he had been tricked into chasing a false lead. Unknown to both of them, the real Naruto was quietly listening from behind a nearby tree, hiding himself from both of their views.

"Why do you fight to protect that little beast?" Mizuki began again. "You of all people should know by now that the monster would try to use the scroll for his own desires."

It pained the boy to hear himself being referred to as nothing more than a beast.

'_Does Iruka-sensei see me as monster as well?'_ He thought quietly to himself, huddling up closer to the scroll in his arms. _'Does he hate me too…?'_

"You're right..." Naruto felt his heart sink as he recognized Iruka's voice speaking up in reply.

'_I… I knew it. Iruka doesn't acknowledge me either. No one does. They all hate me, they all just want to hurt me as much as possible…'_

However, before Naruto's thoughts could continue, Iruka suddenly continued.

"... a monster would do something that…" Naruto's head propped up again as the words reached him once more, his heart filling with a sudden hope as he continued to listen carefully.

"… but Naruto isn't a monster, he's a special boy who I've come to love and acknowledge. He's had to live a hard life at the hands of the cruelty of others because of something that happened a long time ago, something he never even had any part or say in, but even still, despite all of that hatred shown to him, he knows how recognize the pain in another person's heart and he alway's shows kindness to everyone around him. He isn't a monster, he's a member of the village hidden in the leaves. He's Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha and he is a special student of mine."

Naruto felt the tears stream his whiskered cheeks as the words sank into his racing heart. To hear Iruka say that about him, even though the man was not aware of his presence, it just had to be true. Someone finally acknowledged Naruto for who he really was and the boy couldn't help the overwhelming emotions that latched onto him. Mizuki, however, simply let out a frustrated sneer before pulling the remaining Dai shuriken from the holster on his back.

"Fine, then so be it. I said I was going to kill you later, but I guess that now I've changed my mind!" The chunin then spun the projectile in his hand again and proceeded to charge his prey, fully intent to kill the man before him in a single, powerful blow.

"**DIE NOW!!" **

Iruka closed his eyes in a last effort to prepare himself for the inevitable blow. He knew there wasn't anything he could do to avoid it, but even still he could not help the regret that tore at his soul.

'_Naruto, I'm sorry, I wish it wouldn't end this way but it seems as though this is it for me. I hope you get far away from here and to safety. I just wish I could have continued to look after you, to see you happy again, but it looks like I've failed to keep you safe…'_

As Iruka's thought continued to race through his mind, a sharp cry suddenly called out from the nearby trees, bringing the chunin's eyes to attention once more as they sprang open in their surprise.

"**NO!!! Don't hurt Iruka-sensei!" **

The chunin then watched in stunned silence as Naruto ran out from behind the nearby tree and rammed into the attacking Mizuki, causing his impending attack to veer off course and fly into the nearby bushes. The silver haired chunin looked down at the nuisance that stood beneath him and growled in frustration, before backhanding the boy in the face, much to Iruka's distress, and watching as he slammed firmly into the ground.

"Do you really think a dead-last academy student could defeat a chunin like me?"

Mizuki then walked over to the small, quivering boy as he lay on the ground and delivered a powerful kick to his chest, sending him sprawling across the grass in a yelp of pain, before landing just in front of his sensei.

"**No! Naruto!" **

Iruka tried to move over to the boy in an effort to help him, only to be halted by the crippling pain of his own wounds. He could only watch in agony as Mizuki walked over to the crying heap on the floor, ready to finish off the boy with a final blow.

"Once I'm done with you…" He snickered cruelly. "I'll kill your idiotic sensei as well!"

However, much to the chunin's surprise, Naruto began to shuffle on the ground once more and slowly picked himself back up to his feet. He then squeezed his eyes closed in agony as the pain from his fractured ribs shot throughout his entire body, but still stood his ground despite the pain.

"I... I wont let you hurt him! He's the only one who ever loved me, the only one who ever cared for me and gave me a home. **I WON'T LET YOU HURT IRUKA-SENSEI!!!!" **

Naruto's eyes then shot back open, revealing the golden shimmer that glared back the chunin in place of his normal blue irisis.

"**Ngghhh!!! AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!"**

Mizuki screamed out in pain as his gaze locked with Naruto's own, stumbling back on his feet in a seemingly delusional panic. Iruka watched on in wonder and disbelief as the other man fell to the floor soon afterwards, squirming in complete agony as his blood chilling cries echoed out into the icy nighttime air. After a few more fleeting moments of pain, Mizuki finally fell deftly silent again, passing out of consciousness due to the massive trauma he had obviously experienced.

Naruto's eyes slowly returned to their normal blue shade soon afterwards and the boy once again found himself being gripped back into reality. He didn't know what actually happened, but he was relieved it was finally over. It was almost as though his body reacted on its own accord, as if responding to the raw emotion's he felt inside. He painfully turned around to face the man behind him, only to be met by Iruka's relieved tears.

"I... Iruka-sensei!" Naruto then jumped into his teacher's arms, ignoring the shooting pain in his own chest, and cried in relief as his arms squeezed tightly around the man's waist. The older man let out a small wince of pain from the sudden motion, but began stroking Naruto's back in a soothing manner despite his own discomfort, if only to ease the boy's tension.

"It's alright, you're safe now." He whispered gently. "He wont hurt us any more."

Iruka then felt a sudden warmth flow into his body, easing the pain of his wounds until they almost disappeared all together. After a few minutes of simply basking in the relief that washed over them both, Naruto finally pulled back from Iruka's hold and looked into his sensei's eyes.

"Iruka, do you... I mean... am I really a monster like Mizuki said?" Iruka gave off a warm smile and then placed his hand on the boy's stomach.

"Naruto... It's not about what's in here that's important" He offered gently, before moving his hand up to Naruto's chest.

"It's about what's in here that determines you who you really are deep inside." He then patted the area around Naruto's heart, gaining an understanding smile from the boy.

Naruto then moved his hands up and grabbed Iruka's own, pulling it off from his chest and holding it up against his whiskered cheeks. The boy simply closed his eyes as he continued to hold it there and allowed himself to bathe in the comforting and genuine emotions that flowed from Iruka's touch.

The chunin himself smiled gently as Naruto's tears continued to run down the side of his face and over Iruka's hand, knowing that they were no longer tears of pain that fell from his eyes, but rather ones of relief and happiness. The boy then looked back up at him and presented a newfound grin, which Iruka returned in kind.

"Alright, come on kiddo, I think it's time we got back home, it is way past your bed time."

Iruka gained a small chuckle from the boy in response and then slowly stood up from the ground, surprised to feel almost no pain from the areas around his wounds. He kept a hold on Naruto's hand, never once letting go in the slightest, and began to lead the boy out of the woods and back home once more.

"Iruka-sensei, what about Mizuki? Are we just going to leave him there?"

"Oh, don't worry about him." Iruka grinned in response. "I'll send some shinobi out to retrieve him after we get back to the village. If it's anything like what happened to the other guy, I doubt he'll be waking up for a long time to come."

The two then made their way back towards the village walls, Iruka not once letting go of the precious boy beside him. They would need a good night's rest after the events of this evening and he would have to give a full report to the Hokage in the morning. Naruto just relished in his sensei's comforting hold and allowed himself to be lead on without any fear or doubt left in his heart.

The man loved him despite everything he knew about the boy and Naruto never wanted to lose the precious bond that had now formed between them. He would always cherish every moment he shared with the man he considered a father.

--

This I consider to be one of the more difficult chapters I have written and not particularly the best of my work. It still turned out alright though so I hope you all enjoyed it.

**Notes:**

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** = Shadow Clone Jutsu


	5. Chapter 5 Aftermath

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 5 – Aftermath**

The frantic sound of shuffling feet and murmuring shinobi echoed throughout the unusually busy hallways of the Hokage tower as a new morning met with the chaos of its walls. Frustrations were running higher than ever in the ranks of ninja that made their way through the hallway, passing a lone Iruka as he made his way to his awaiting destination.

Ever since the events of the previous night, regarding a certain young boy's infiltration of the Hokage's library, the security levels the old building had been on high alert and there were shinobi stationed at just about every door and corner.

Having such a dangerous and valuable item, such as the scroll of sealing, stolen by a ten-year-old boy who was considered little more than a nuisance, had everyone on the edge of their seats.

Iruka, however, knew that there was no possible way for a young academy student who barely any skills as a ninja to sneak past trained shinobi undetected, and he suspected that Mizuki had played a great part in his apparent success. The silver haired chunin had obviously planned the entire setup with careful consideration and only used Naruto as a scapegoat to cover his tracks and take the blame.

It was an underhanded and despicable ploy on Mizuki's part to use an innocent child to his advantage, especially considering the boy's status and the animosity directed towards him. Naruto had always been seen as nothing but trouble in the eyes of the village, so it wasn't surprising that he would immediately be marked in accusation for the theft without little consideration or debate.

Iruka scowled at the thought of it.

First Naruto hospitalized one of his wardens in a desperate act of self-defense, then he was tricked into stealing a dangerous scroll because of the feelings of inadequacy he held in his heart. Add to that the fact that the Kyuubi was sealed inside him and you've got a big red targeting ring painted on the poor boy's back. It wouldn't have surprised the chunin if there were already requests put in for Naruto's immediate execution. Iruka didn't even want to think about what would happen if word of his possible bloodline got out as well.

Which is how the fuming sensei now found himself walking to the Sandaime's office so early in the morning. He had to deliver his report on the previous night's events to try and clear Naruto's tarnished name. Although the Hokage already knew of Mizuki's part in the entire ordeal, the chunin still needed to submit sufficient evidence to present to the council and show his student's innocence in the matter.

Iruka shook of his frustrations about the unfair light the boy was viewed in and approached the door to the third's office with newfound determination. The ANBU guards stationed outside promptly let him in and the chunin soon found himself in front of the old man who sported a smoldering pipe firmly held within his mouth.

"Ah, Iruka. I was expecting you a bit sooner, although I'm sure you have your reasons for arriving late." Iruka gave a small apologetic bow in respect as the door closed gently behind him.

"My apologies lord Hokage, but I had to make sure Naruto arrived safely at the academy. After everything that's happened last night, I was afraid of letting him walk there by himself."

Sarutobi let a brief smile stretch across his old and tired lips. It seemed the chunin before him put the Naruto's safety above everyone else, including the Hokage himself. It was comforting for the old man to know that someone really cared that much for the boy and soon his doubts about Iruka taking care of him were washed away completely. After a few more moments of bathing in his own subtle relief, the old man's face took on a far more serious expression.

"I assume you've completed your report?" He enquired firmly. "I would like to clear this matter up as soon as possible before it blows out of my ability to handle."

Iruka walked up to the desk with his files in hand and promptly dropped them onto the wooden surface.

"I've given a detailed description of everything that happened last night. I've also made it clearly obvious that Naruto was manipulated into stealing the scroll by Mizuki for the man's own purposes. To impose any punishment on a boy who couldn't have possibly known any better in the matter would not only be unjust, but it would also throw into question the morals of the citizens of Konoha. I think you'll find the evidence pointing to Mizuki's betrayal to be irrefutable and once he comes around from his comatose state, Ibiki can interrogate him to clarify any further discrepancies one might try to raise."

Sarutobi raised his eyebrows in astonishment. He had never seen so much absolute will and determination in Iruka's eyes as that he was witnessing no. The chunin had covered all his tracks without any room for possible error. He had carefully planned his entire defense of Naruto and he would be damned if it wasn't perfect.

"Very well Iruka." Sarutobi sighed in relief.

"I will present your case to the council and vouch in support of your honesty and your character. Naruto should be safe for now, at least until this matter is completely resolved or he is otherwise proven to be guilty after further investigation. Although I doubt anyone would be able to put forward such incriminating evidence."

Iruka gave out a sigh of relief of his own thereafter, immediately losing his somber stare in light of a more relaxed expression. It seemed as though things were under control for now and Naruto wasn't in any immediate danger yet. Now all that was left for the chunin was to clear up one more matter with regards to his pupil.

The third looked up at him with a curious expression, noticing the firm look on the chunin's face, and took another deep draw from his pipe.

"You have something else you wish to speak about?" Iruka nodded silently in confirmation.

"I have a request to make with regards to Naruto's advancement as a shinobi. I did some digging around at the academy before I arrived here and I've discovered some discrepancies with regards to the latest assessment exam."

Sarutobi let out a puff of smoke along with a deep sigh. He knew where this was going.

"I've since discovered that it was Mizuki who requested that the exam be a written test." Iruka continued. "He obviously knew about Naruto's shortcomings and used them to herd the boy into a vulnerable position. In light of this, I request that Naruto be allowed to pass the exam and proceed into the next stages of academy training."

The old man listening simply leaned into the back of his chair and folded his fingers into one another, closing his eyes in thought. A few moments later, he spoke up once more, his voice laced with the lingering hint of regret.

"Iruka, as much as I understand your concern about Naruto's progress and wellbeing, what Mizuki did was not strictly against procedure. Unfortunately, I cannot allow the boy to pass based on this knowledge alone. The council would never accept such a decision just because of a mere accusation on your part."

Iruka nodded his head in understanding.

"I am aware of the possible ramifications of such an act, which is why I have given in a signed application for Naruto's advancement into the next level of training. According to academy procedure, if an instructor deems one of his students ready for higher levels of training, he may request an early advancement based on that students performance."

Sarutobi opened his eyes again and locked his gaze with Iruka once more, somewhat surprised by the proposition put forward.

"What you say is true." He agreed. "You are allowed to vouch in your student's favor if you deem him worthy, but I will need sufficient justification if I am to present a valid case. The academy board will not allow such an advancement unless there is enough evidence to support your assessment of Naruto's capabilities."

Iruka then pulled out another envelope from his vest and handed it to the Hokage, sporting a sly grin on his face.

"I think you'll find more than enough justification in there. The fact that Naruto stood up to a chunin and readily laid his life on the line to protect someone else from harm speaks volumes for the boy in itself. The fact that he actually managed to defeat that chunin, I believe, is more than enough reason for him to pass."

Sarutobi opened the envelope and began to briefly scan over its contents, regarding it carefully as he inspected the evidence presented. After a brief overview he looked back up again, only this time his eyes narrowed somewhat.

"Iruka, I want you to be sure that this is the best course of action to take. I'm afraid that the Naruto's setbacks may cause him some difficulty with his learning. Perhaps it is better that he be allowed these six months to regain the basic skills he has been denied all these years."

"Lord Hokage, with all due respect this is Naruto's only dream." Irula responded, somewhat firmly.

"It's the only thing he has left to hold on to, to keep him moving forward. If we keep him back now I'm afraid that he'll only fall even deeper into the hole that has been dug for him. I swore to Naruto that I would fix this problem. I'll do everything in my power to ensure that he learns everything he needs to know so that he can catch up to the rest of his class."

Sarutobi couldn't help it as a small grin stretched across his lips, satisfied to see the resolve firmly set in Iruka's heart. He recognized the strength he could see in the young man's eyes and it was that very will of fire burning in his gaze that promised the old man looking into them of the truth in his words.

Iruka was adamant to see Naruto's dreams come true and Sarutobi found himself unable to deny his request.

"Very well. I'll see to it that your application is honored at the soonest possible convenience, but right now we have other pressing matters to discuss."

At that moment, as if on queue to the Hokage's words, the doors behind Iruka suddenly sprang open revealing a young woman with deep red eyes as she appeared from behind them.

"Ah Kurenai, you're just in time" The Sandaime smiled, gaining a respectful bow from the woman as she approached his desk.

"Lord Hokage, you wished to see me?" She enquired respectfully.

Sarutobi stood from his chair and walked around his desk to approach the two shinobi standing before him.

"There is a matter of great concern that I wish you to help us with. I'm sure you've heard of the young boy named Naruto Uzumaki have you not?" Kurenai nodded in confirmation.

"You mean that academy student I keep hearing so many things about? Apparently he's caused quite a lot of problems lately, what with the recent series of mishaps surrounding him."

Iruka shot a deadly glance over towards the jounin speaking, radiating a sudden killer intent that made her back up a bit in her words.

"Naruto isn't some pest that you can just step all over and get rid of!" He spat bitterly. "He's a kind and friendly boy who's been labeled unfairly by those around him! I suggest you speak carefully about him when you're near me!"

Both the Hokage and Kurenai were taken aback somewhat by Iruka's sudden flare of aggressiveness, but the old man could understand why he reacted the way he did.

"Kurenai..." Sarutobi began again. "...what you have heard about Naruto from your peers is not to be taken to heart so easily. Remember that the boy is the holder of the Kyuubi and as such he is often subjected to unfair treatment and harassment from those around him."

Kurenai tried to see the Hokage's point of view but she was still hung up on the image of the troublemaker she had always heard him to be.

"But lord Hokage, I've heard reports that he hospitalized one of his wardens...."

"It was in self defense!" Iruka snapped back, cutting her off before she could continue.

"Self defense? From what? What did the man do to warrant being put in hospital."

This time, Iruka felt his blood chill in his veins. He would have broken the jounin's neck right then if it weren't for the fact that she would be helping Naruto in the coming days. Instead, he just took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves and began to explain.

"You talk about Naruto as if you already know who he is, but you have no idea what that boy has been through. Those bastards at that god-damned orphanage used to beat him every single night just for the sake of it! A young boy who could hardly defend himself was subjected to the tortures of his caretakers all because of the stupid monster sealed inside him and all you can do is assume he's the one to blame for his situation!"

Kurenai's expression began to sink into a frown at the sound of Iruka's words.

"I... I had no idea...." She stammered in surprise.

"**That's right, you don't have any IDEA!!!"** Iruka retorted.

"No-one has any **GOD DAMNED IDEA** what kind of life that kid has had to live, but I know! I could feel it every time I touched the boy! All of the pain and sadness he felt inside, you couldn't possibly imagine what it feels like to have those emotions coursing through into your heart!!!"

Sarutobi quickly placed his hand on Iruka's shoulder, prompting the enraged man to calm down somewhat at his firm hold. The chunin then took a deep, quivering breath and gazed back into Kurenai's eyes. He began to relax, however, when he saw the sudden shock and guilt etched onto the jounin's face.

"Iruka... I... I'm sorry... I didn't..."

"It's... alright." Iruka cut her off, his tone dropping into a near whisper. "I... I shouldn't have reacted like that. You... had no way of knowing what was happening to him."

The Hokage quickly took another deep draw from his still smoldering pipe soon afterwards, trying to ease his own over-stressed nerves. Iruka may have only been a chunin, but he could swear the young man would have killed Kurenai if the situation wasn't handled as quickly as it was. After allowing the two some time to calm down and think, he began to speak once again.

"Kurenai, the reason I called you here is to help Iruka access Naruto for any possible bloodline traits. We believe the boy hospitalized his warden with an advanced genjutsu, but we are not sure exactly how he managed to cast it." Iruka held up his hand to stop Sarutobi in his tracks.

"If I may lord Hokage..." The old man nodded and allowed Iruka to continue. After gaining the man's confirmation, the chunin began to speak once more.

"Last night, Naruto used the same attack again on Mizuki when he tried to kill us. I didn't actually see it properly because I was standing behind Naruto, but it was very clear that he didn't form any hand signs at all. In fact, he made no other body movements at all. I have no doubt whatsoever now that whatever that attack was, it was definitely cast by a doujutsu."

Kurenai's eye's widened in surprise.

"You mean... like the Sharingan?" Iruka nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, only Naruto isn't an Uchiha, so I doubt it is related to the Sharingan in any way. This is something else all together, something we've never come across before."

"That is why I called you here." The Sandaime spoke up once more, continuing in Iruka's stead.

"I need you to work with Iruka and discover how this genjutsu, if it even is one, actually works. If we can discover its source, it may lead us into discovering what kind of bloodline this may be and what abilities it grants Naruto. Go with Iruka to the academy as soon as possible and see what you can find out. The sooner we uncover this mystery, the sooner we can help Naruto learn to control it before he or someone else gets hurt."

Kurenai nodded in silent approval shortly before the two shinobi made there way out the door. Just before Iruka disappeared from view, the Hokage called out once more.

"I will see to it that Naruto's results be reassessed immediately, I only hope he's ready for what you're putting him up to." Iruka smiled and then nodded his head.

"I'll personally ensure that Naruto gets the attention he deserves, even if it takes all the time and strength I have."

With that, the chunin disappeared with Kurenai down the hallway, leaving a concerned old man to his wandering thoughts.

--

As the cheery sounds of laughing children sounded throughout the small academy playground, Naruto quietly sat on one of the swings, rocking himself in a gentle sway as the warm sunlight caressed his skin.

The boy tried desperately not to draw any attention to himself as he sat upon its small wooden frame alone. He felt so isolated and afraid without Iruka there to protect him from harm and knowing exactly why he was hated didn't help him feel any better.

When the scarred chunin had told Naruto that he needed to see the Hokage the boy had begged for him to stay, not wanting to be left alone amongst others that might do him harm.

After some convincing on Iruka's part, the boy reluctantly accepted and let the man go on his way. He knew it was important for his sensei to report his findings, for both Konoha's sake and for Naruto's own, but now he once again found himself exposed and vulnerable.

Ever since the Iruka taken him in, clothed him and shared his love with the boy, Naruto finally began to feel safe for the first time in his life. Now it was like his shield had been taken away from him once more, leaving him vulnerable and completely subjecting the boy to the cruel world around him. The youngster didn't even have any friends to support him and spend his breaks with.

Despite all of this, Naruto desperately tried to find the courage to stay strong. He knew Iruka wouldn't leave him alone for too long and it was only a matter of time before his sensei was back and he could feel safe again. He silently watched as his feet dangled aimlessly beneath him, allowing his painful thoughts to wander on the events of the previous night.

It was still a little overwhelming for the boy to learn that the Kyuubi was sealed inside him, to finally know why he had been abused his entire life and Naruto couldn't help but feel the unfairness of it all.

Why was he the one that was left with no parents? Why was he the one that had a monster sealed inside of him? Why did the other children tease and bully him all the time while the adults stared at him with hateful eyes? Why was it always him?

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing that bothered the boy. The results for the assessment exam were being posted in the hallway today and Naruto knew he would have obviously failed miserably. Once everyone learned that the dobe hadn't passed, he would be subjected to even more name calling an bullying, not to mention the fact that the rest of his class would no doubt advance ahead while he would be forced to stay back for another six months.

He didn't know if he could fit into a new class. It had taken a lot of time, but he was finally growing used to the group he was already in. Even though he was still hurt by their cruel taunts and snickers, some of them were still alright, while others even managed to ignored him all together.

Naruto's thoughts were suddenly jarred when the end of their break was announced. The boy took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for what would come and then reluctantly pulled himself off the safety of his swing and made his way back into the hallway, back into the dangers of those cruel stares that threatened him with there promise of pain and sadness.

As he made his way towards his classroom, he noticed a crowd forming around a post board on the side of the wall.

Many attentive eyes searched through the paper that had been pasted on the board, while curious whispers sounded throughout the air. Naruto stood on the tips of his toes, trying to see what all of the fuss was about. Although he was the shortest in his class, he somehow managed to gain view of the contents of the paper, but this only prompted the boy into a frown. It was the results for the assessment exams.

Naruto then fell back down onto the flats of his feat and slowly walked away. There was no point in looking for his own name, after all, they didn't even show the names of those who failed. He was just about to give up any hope of mercy, when a sudden call drew his attention once more.

"Hey do you see that? The dobe actually managed to pass after all."

Naruto's heart suddenly jumped into his throat as his body froze into place, his shock overwhelming his body as the words nagged at his heart.

They... couldn't be talking about him... could they?

He then quickly turned around on the spot and, after whipping his face of the evidence of his emotions, ran up to the board to look over it again. After squeezing his small body through the crowd that had gathered, trying not to touch those around him, he finally managed to gain access to the results sheet.

There, right near the bottom of the list, was his name 'Naruto Uzumaki'. The boy almost had a heart attack as his mind translated one of the few words he recognized, his own name, while his eyes momentarily flared into a golden hew and then back again. However, despite his shock, he somehow managed to contain the overwhelming emotions that filled inside of him. He had passed... barely, but it was still a pass nonetheless.

'_But... how?'_ Naruto thought quietly to himself _'I'm sure I didn't answer any questions'_

An ember of hope finally reignited in Naruto's tattered, worn out heart, breathing new life back into his dream of becoming a shinobi and proving his worth to those around him. The boy almost collapsed into tears on the spot, but he quickly reminded himself of his current location as well as the company present around him.

He then gathered what little strength he had to keep himself from falling and gently squeezed back out of the crowd again, before making his way back into the classroom while trying to absorb what had just occurred.

The boy didn't even notice the stares and whispers of those around him as he walked back up to his sea, nor the eyes that continued to hold him in their stare. It was as though the entire world had blanked out completely, leaving only Naruto and his emotions behind. The blond plonked down into his chair with little thought or care and slouched over onto his desk. The substitute teacher that was covering for Iruka while the chunin was gone, walked into the class and cleared his throat to speak.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, as I'm sure you are all aware the results for yesterday's assessment exam have been released. All those who failed will be removed from their classrooms from tomorrow morning and will be registered into a new class to try again in six months. As for those who have passed, all I can say is congratulations. From tomorrow onwards, you will now start learning the more advanced forms shinobi conduct and combat skills, as well as some minor jutsu training as well. This will be a lot harder than what you've been accustomed learning so far and if any of you are still unsure about your ability to continue yet, you may submit a from to the academy to be held back for another six months for more preparation. All such forms need to be handed in by the end of today."

The substitute teacher then turned to the door to see Iruka stepping inside. At the sight of his sensei's return, Naruto's face lit up like an exploding bonfire. His eyes began to shimmer in a golden hew as a sudden relief set into his racing heart. He was safe again. Just being in the same room as Iruka was enough to make the boy feel warm and protected. His eyes then returned to their normal shade and shifted to the dark haired woman that entered in behind him.

"Who is she?" He mumbled to himself, scowling at the thought of his sensei spending time with someone else.

When the said woman's eyes shifted over in his direction, Naruto grew uncomfortable in his chair. Somehow he new that her gaze was specifically fixed onto his form, almost studying him like a one would study their prey.

Naruto sank into his seat and tried to ignore the woman's glare while refocusing his gaze and watching as the substitute teacher bowed to Iruka, before being relieved of his duties to the class. Once the man was out of the room, the scarred chunin turned to his students began to speak.

"Alright class, I've got some good news for you all. The academy has decided to give you the rest of the day off in light of yesterday's exam, so go home and take a well-deserved break. You'll need it for tomorrow."

A sudden cheer erupted around the classroom as the excited students burst from there seats to dart for the door. Before they got very far Iruka called out again.

"Oh... and don't forget to tell your parents your results. I'm sure they'll want to hear how you all did."

The chunin couldn't help the snicker that caught under his breath as a unanimous mumble of irritation reverberated amongst some of the leaving students causing him to grin in satisfaction. Naruto, however, simply waited quietly at his desk for the other kids to leave and then jumped out of his seat and ran down to the man waiting at the end of the class. The boy then leapt into his sensei's arms and squeezed as tightly as he could, with no condemning eyes to witness the embrace.

"Iruka-sensei, I missed you so much! I was... a bit scared without having you here." Iruka returned the tight hug, kneeling down to meet his student's height.

"I was only gone for three hours Naruto. It wasn't that bad was it?" The boy chuckled in response as if to shrug of his sensei's words, but the relief Iruka felt emanating of his body told him that Naruto was in fact telling the truth. Naruto then quickly snapped into a big grin, remembering what he was so excited about telling the man.

"Did you hear Iruka-sensei, I passed the exam! I don't know how but I actually managed to pass!"

Kurenai watched on in surprise as Iruka ruffled the blond's hair in congratulations, gaining an innocent giggle and a few previously unshed tears of joy.

Was this the same boy that everyone had told her to watch out for? This kid, who was so fragile and desperate after being apart from Iruka for only a few moments?

The jounin quickly shook her head in silent frustration at the mere thought of it, realizing that she had been suckered by the misinformed words of her peers.

A few moments later, Naruto pulled out of the hug that had held him closely and then, realizing that the other woman was still standing there, quickly hid away behind Iruka's body. The chunin then stood to his feat and looked down at the panicked eyes of his student.

"Um... Naruto, this is Kurenai." Iruka announced carefully. "She's going to help you deal with these.... new powers you seem to have."

The scarred chunin tried to explain the reason for the chunin being there as lightly as he could, after all, he didn't want to confuse the boy too much or scare him for that matter, but even despite that, Naruto's eyes never lost their waver as he regarded the woman with a great deal of mistrust.

Kurenai, seeing the boy's discomfort, knelt down in front of the timid blond and offered her hand with a smile.

"It's... nice to meet you Naruto." However, despite her attempts at gaining his approval, Naruto just pulled further back away from her, shielding himself behind Iruka's protective form. The jounin could see the genuine fear in the child's eyes as well as... something else however, before she could think on it, Iruka gave out a sigh then tried to reassure the boy of her good intensions.

"Hey kiddo, there's no need to be afraid. You can trust Kurenai, she's not going to hurt you."

Naruto, however, remained unmoving and Iruka could feel the grip of fear that held the boy's heart in place flowing through his touch. He could also feel Naruto's body begin to tremble in the woman's presence, signifying his obvious discomfort.

After a few moments of silence, Iruka finally slouched in defeat, realizing the obvious reason for the boy's concern. He then walked the Naruto over to the door while Kurenai remained on her haunches, frozen in disbelief.

"Naruto, can you wait for us in the playground. I'll be out in a minute, I just need to speak to Kurenai-sama alone for a moment." Naruto reluctantly accepted, trusting his sensei's promise to see him soon. He slowly walked down the hallway, only looking back to see his sensei smiling in reassurance.

Once the boy was gone from view, Iruka turned back to see a clearly stunned and slightly shaken Kurenai looking back at him.

"I... didn't realize just how bad it is for him" She admitted with a guilty tone apparent in her voice.

"Those bastards! When I get my hands on those lying, deceitful, useless piles of... ugh! How could I have even listened to them!? I'm no better than the one's that made Naruto's life a living hell!" Iruka just walked up to the fuming jounin and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's... not your fault. Naruto isn't this way because of anything you did. I think this whole incident with Mizuki has shaken Naruto's ability to grow closer to other people. That bastard was one of his teachers, someone the boy should have been able to believe in and look up to. Now Mizuki's betrayal has made Naruto question his own trust in others. I think I'm the only one he'll allow himself to even make contact with any more. He's probably too afraid that someone will use his own feelings against him if he allows them to touch him any more."

Kurenai face began to fill with confusion.

"What... what do you mean by that? About someone touching him?" Iruka let go of his grip on the jounin's shoulder and walked over to the door, opening it to go outside.

"I think it's better if you found out for yourself, it's not something I can easily explain. Come, let's go see him together. Maybe if you two spend some time with one another he might open up to you, although I'm no longer sure if that's even possible considering how he's been treated."

Kurenai took a deep breath and then followed Iruka out the door. She felt a terrible guilt weighing inside of her heart. How could this child suffer so much pain because of the narrow minded opinions of those fools around him, opinions that she herself had been influenced by much to her own disgust.

She could see that Naruto was slowly allowing himself to sink into an inescapable isolation and it wasn't healthy for the boy to break his ties with the rest of the world. Kurenai silently vowed then and there that she would do everything in her power to help Naruto if it was in her capability to do so.

It was the least she could do to right the wrongs of those that made his life miserable.

--

**AN:** Alright. That's another chapter done. I'd like to say thanks for all the reviews so far and I hope you're enjoying the story.  The next one will come soon! :)


	6. Chapter 6 Earning a Young Boy's Trust

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey everyone. Id like to say thanks for all the reviews I've received so far. I appreciate the feedback.  
So here's another chapter for you all to enjoy!

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 6 - Earning a Young Boy's Trust**

A desperately heavy heart races in built up suspense as two shinobi slowly made there way out of the academy hallway, entering into the small playground where Naruto had been asked to wait. As the warm soft midday sunlight caught the two in it's heated gaze, the young boy they had sworn to help slowly came into their view, swaying slowly on the protective wooden swing that he had always sat on during his school breaks.

Kurenai was afraid, in fact it was more accurate to say she was terrified. For the first time since becoming a jounin, she found herself questioning her own abilities and whether or not she would actually be able to do any good, but after seeing Naruto look up to them with fearful eyes at their approach, she reinforced her resolve with newfound determination.

She had to help Naruto, she had to right the wrongs he had lived with all his life, wrongs that she herself had been party to even if it was in an indirect way.

The young woman had never seen such terrified eyes as the ones she saw in the blond boy they were approaching and she was almost heartbroken at how afraid Naruto was just being near a stranger. Had Mizuki really done so much damage in a single act of betrayal, or was it just that Naruto's heart was already too frail to defend itself from any more suffering.

Unfortunately the jounin already knew the answer to that question and she was beginning to understand why Iruka was so defensive over his student. The chunin didn't want any corrupt hearts to even come near the boy, much less try to form a bond with him.

As the two shinobi approached the swing on which Naruto sat, Iruka slowly stepped up to the boy and knelt down in front of him. Naruto's gaze locked with his sensei's and Iruka took his hand into his own, rubbing it gently in reassurance.

"Naruto... I know you're afraid about all of this. I know that what Mizuki did tested your trust in others but I need you to please work with me here. Kurenai is going to help you deal with these powers you have, but she can't do anything if you don't allow her to come close to you. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?"

Iruka tried to feel for any emotions that would tell him what Naruto was feeling, however it did little to reassure his nerves. He could sense a hint of fear and confusion, but that soon turned to denial and mistrust.

"Iruka-sensei, I already trusted one person too much and look where that got me." Naruto finally responded.

"I almost lost you, I almost lost the only person who ever loved me and now you just want me to do it all over again? How do I know she's not going to hurt us as well?"

Kurenai watched in dismay as the boy's eyes began to fill with panic. The words that fell from his lips stung deeply at the woman's heart, cutting it apart like a jagged blade. She knew she wouldn't have done anything like Mizuki, but it still didn't help her feel any better about the situation. Iruka took a deep breath citing the youngster's heavy words and continued to try win Naruto over.

"Look, Kurenai is not going to do anything to hurt you. I trust her and I know she feels bad about what happened to you. Please just try at least. I'll be here the whole time and if you start to feel uncomfortable you just tell me and I'll stop everything immediately. Is that alright with you?"

Naruto seemed to regard the man's words carefully, and then finally released a heavy, anguished breath despite himself. He then spoke up once again, only this time in a near whisper.

"Alright... alright, but only if you promise to stop when I say so."

Iruka nodded in approval and then offered Naruto his hand, before leading the still quivering boy up from the swing and over to Kurenai.

The young blond only did his best to follow nervously behind him, while still trying to use Iruka's body as a shield from the woman's gaze. Once they had reached the waiting Kurenai, Iruka stepped aside in order to allow her access to the child firmly attached to his side.

"Naruto... I need you to give Kurenai your hand please." Naruto simply regarded the said woman with a great deal of fear and then looked up to his sensei once more, his eyes widening in surprise at the sudden and unexpected request.

"But... why Iruka-sensei?" He stammered precariously. "I... I don't know if she... It's just that...."

Iruka, however, quickly placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder to calm his nerves, while squeezing it in reassurance.

"I need you to do this because it's the only way she can understand." He offered gently. "Please Naruto, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

The said boy cringed in fear and then looked up to Kurenai again, who was clearly still was confused as to what exactly was going on, but a quick glance from Iruka prompted her into following his lead. The jounin then slowly knelt down in front of the boy and offered her hand.

"Naruto, I promise I wont hurt you. I just want to help." Naruto took a deep gulp and looked up to his sensei again, as if silently pleading for his advice.

After one more reassuring nod on the chunin's part, the boy looked into Kurenai's eyes and then slowly held out his hand. He quickly pulled it back again in fear, half expecting something bad to happed, but then moved it out to meet hers again once he was certain of his safety.

His quivering hand eventually made its way to the nervous jounin's own and slowly fell onto it with a light touch. Kurenai felt the boy's shaking fingers press against her palm and then she gently closed her own hand around his to hold it in place.

They both simply stood there silently in the moments that followed, neither one moving for what felt like an eternity, until finally it happened. Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise as a sudden rush of emotions filled into her unprepared heart and almost jumped at the unexpected feelings that coursed through her body.

At first she could feel confusion and panic, but it eventually ran into full-blown terror. She quickly looked up to Iruka once more, her eyes wavering in the evidence of her disbelief, who only nodded as if to answer an unspoken question on her part.

Kurenai then looked back into Naruto's eyes once more and began to notice the shimmer of gold reflecting back at her. The boy's face began to fall into a frown soon afterwards and tears slowly began to touch against his cheeks.

'_Are... are these his emotions? Is this his Naruto's pain and fear that I'm feeling inside?' _

There was so much fear, so much panic in Naruto's heart, that it even brought the boy to tears. Kurenai silently cursed under her breath following such emotions, realizing just how much psychological damage the boy must had endured, especially if he couldn't even touch a stranger without breaking apart completely.

Eventually, as if to honor a silent request on Naruto's part, Kurenai finally released her grip on the boy's hand and freed him from the fear that held him frozen in place. She then offered to back away and gave the boy some space, allowing Iruka the freedom to kneel down in front of him and embrace the boy in a reassuring hug.

"That was good Naruto." He whispered gently, rubbing the youngster's back in a soothing motion while easing the tension that still gripped his heart. "I'm so proud of you. That wasn't so bad was it?"

Naruto simply continued to stand there silently, still shaking someone despite the comforting hold that enveloped him, however he still managed a brief nod despite himself.

After a few more moments of relief, Iruka finally pulled out from the embrace and then walked off to the side with an equally shaken Kurenai. Once they were a bit further away from Naruto, the two began to speak out of reach of his ears.

"So... judging by the look on you face I guess that means you felt it right?" Kurenai just nodded in conformation, trying to brush off the lingering emotions that still clung to her soul.

"What... what was that just now?" She mumbled, trying to discern what had just happened. Iruka just took a deep breath and then began to explain.

"The first time I felt it was the day Naruto had been kicked out of the orphanage." He began solemnly. "I think it has something to do with his bloodline but I'm not entirely sure yet. Every time he's exposed to prolonged contact with another person, his feelings and emotions seem to flow freely onto them."

Kurenai, nodded her head in understanding. It did make sense after all and it was the only thing that would explain what she had felt right then. There was just one thing that was bothering her about all of this.

"But... if Naruto shares his feelings with others through prolonged touch, then why hasn't anyone ever noticed this before? Surely by now someone should have realized that this was happening." However, the jounin's inquiry was only met with a discomforting frown on Iruka's part.

"I asked myself the same question at first, but after spending some time with Naruto, the answer soon became painfully obvious. His feelings only begin to flow into the one touching him after a few seconds of exposure and I doubt Naruto has ever touched someone for that long before his first hug with me."

The jounin listening couldn't help as her eyes widened in shock at the man's words. She didn't want to here what Iruka had to say next, but he continued to explain nonetheless.

"Before two days ago, Naruto had never received a hug in his entire life. He had never been embraced or carried in another person's arms. He had never even held the hand of someone that cared for him. The only time Naruto ever came into physical contact with another person's touch was when their fists were crashing into him. That kind of cruel exposure never lasted more that a second at the most."

Kurenai felt the tears begin to fall onto her cheeks as the man's words continued to fill her with the bitter taste of remorse. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that someone could treat a poor boy so cruelly his entire life.

How had he even managed to survive this long in such absolute isolation?

"Now you know why." Iruka confirmed bitterly. "This is why Naruto is so reluctant to allow others to touch him. I think that he's picked up on the fact that this strange bond occurs. I think its because he can feel it as well as we can."

"So... you mean it works both ways when he touches someone?" Iruka nodded his head in confirmation to the jounin's question.

"Yes, I believe so. Sometimes when I get angry or upset while holding Naruto, he seems to become afraid or panicked in my arms. I have to be careful when I'm touching him, in case I do any more damage to his already broken soul."

After a few more moments shared between the two, Kurenai let out a deep, tired breath, announcing the end of their assessment with a heavy sigh.

"Thanks Iruka." She offered gratefully. "I know it must be hard to share this information with someone else but I assure you, this will stay between us and the Hokage. I won't do anything to betray your trust." Iruka's eyes brought on a more grateful expression at the jounin's words.

"I appreciate that... more than you could ever know. So then, are you ready to continue?"

Kurenai simply nodded, brushing off the last remnants of the emotions she felt, and then followed Iruka back to where Naruto stood.

--

Naruto quietly watched from the distance as the two older shinobi spoke out of reach of his ear. The boy couldn't help but wander what they were saying to one another. This whole situation was scaring Naruto completely and he began to question whether it was such a good idea to agree with this in the first place.

Another thing that bothered him was how trusting Iruka seemed to be around this strange woman. He and Mizuki had been friends for a long time, but that still didn't stop the silver haired chunin from turning on Iruka the first chance he got. Naruto had almost lost the most important person in his life last night and now he was worried that this... Kurenai was only there to steal him away again.

It wouldn't have surprised the boy. All his life, everyone around him did everything in their power to see him miserable. What if this was all just a ploy to keep him from the one person that seemed to care?

Naruto quickly shook his head from side to side, trying to brush off the uneasy emotions he felt inside while clearing his mind of doubt.

"Iruka told me that he trusts her. He wouldn't lie to me would he?" He mumbled quietly, trying to convince himself of their good intensions.

He was so confused, so hopelessly lost in everything that was happening. When he touched her, he could feel Kurenai's panic and unease flowing into his heart as well and it made the woman's motives that much more difficult to discern.

Was she afraid of him? No that wasn't it, it was something else completely, like... concern almost and a bit of remorse.

This confused Naruto even more, but before his thoughts could find an answer in the depths of his own reasoning, the two shinobi that had inhabited his mind were already making their way back to where he was standing. The young boy quickly hid his emotions behind a quickly conceived mask and tried to look as natural as possible, but it didn't help too much though, because Iruka could immediately notice the distressed look on the boy's face.

Once the two had reached him, Iruka knelt down in front of Naruto once more and then began to speak softly.

"Naruto, If its alright with you, I'd us to continue working with Kurenai for now to find out what's going on. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Naruto looked up to the said woman, locking with her gaze. Her eyes seemed to be begging for his acceptance. The then let out a deep sigh and nodded his head in silent approval.

'_Maybe I should give her a chance after all, but only for a little while.'_ He thought quietly to himself.

Iruka quickly lit up into a grin following the youngster's response and then stood from his haunches. Kurenai herself couldn't contain her own smile as she delighted in the fact that he may start trusting her after all.

"Alright then, lets get started!"

--

A few hours had passed since Kurenai had began her evaluation of Naruto's abilities and the boy had spent the better part of that time answering one question after another, first about the time in the orphanage when he had hospitalized his caretaker and the about the previous night during the incident with Mizuki.

It was painful for him to once again recite the terrible events of those two nights, but a warm hand from Iruka kept Naruto from breaking apart on the spot. Every time the jounin would ask a particularly difficult question, she would cringe in discomfort as Naruto's eyes sank deeper into sadness, shedding another held back tear, but she also knew that she had no other choice and that she had to learn as much as she could if there was to be any hope of discovering Naruto's hidden abilities.

Once her investigation was complete and she had enough information to work with, the jounin moved onto the next step.

"Alright Naruto, I know that was hard but I'm grateful for your honesty." She offered gently, praising Naruto for his bravery.

Kurenai then stood up from her seat on the grass and prompted the boy to do the same. A teary eyed Naruto slowly stood from the ground and followed her lead. "Iruka, if it's alright with you, I'd like a moment alone with Naruto."

Iruka looked down at the boy to gain his approval, to which Naruto nodded in silence. The chunin then made his way of the field and stepped inside the academy structure. He took one last look back to see if Naruto was fine and flashed a reassuring smile to calm the boy's nerves.

Once he was out of view, Kurenai turned to back Naruto again before holding out her hand and offering it to the boy. Naruto took a deep gulp once again and then reluctantly accepted.

The jounin then led him over to the nearby swings, before seating herself down on one of them and then prompting Naruto to sit next to her. The two of them just remained there in silence in the moments that followed, neither one talking as they swayed gently back and forth in the cool afternoon breeze.

Kurenai knew that before she could help Naruto, she would have to gain his trust and understanding, so she decided to give the two of them a moment to just grow comfortable in one another's presence. She had to break through the shell that he had formed around his heart.

"He's... a good person isn't he?" The young woman finally offered, breaking the silence with gentle words.

Naruto simply regarded Kurenai with a confused expression, prompting her to explain.

"Iruka, I mean. He's always been so kind to those around him. In all the time I've known him the man always did what he could to help others in need. He even stood up for you even when everyone else condemned you, even when... I condemned you. I wish I was more like that." The small evidence of emotion then began to form in Kurenai's own eyes, causing Naruto's heart to fill with panic and concern as he saw the unmistakable pain in her gaze.

The woman then slowly stepped off her seat and knelt in front of the blue eyed boy beside her, before taking a hold of both of his hands and holding them firmly in her own, stroking her thumbs over them in a soothing comfort.

"I... I'm so sorry about all of this." She whispered softly. "I was just the same as everyone else. I never knew what kind of pain you were going through, but instead of trying to find the truth I just assumed the worst. This is the only way I can make things up to you so... I need you to let me help."

Naruto could feel the sincerity flowing from Kurenai's touch. He couldn't detect any deceit or hatred in her heart, but even still the lingering dread that clung firmly to his heart remained regardless.

He wanted to trust Kurenai, he wanted to hug her and tell her that he forgave her, but his heart was warning him not to get to close lest he was burned again as he had been before. He couldn't allow anyone else to gain advantage of his emotions any more, no matter how sincere they appeared to be.

Kurenai, noticing the feelings of confusion emanating of Naruto's touch, slowly released her grip around his hands and again and withdrew from his touch, as if to respect his emotions. However, the soft words that followed soon afterwards, caught her by surprise as the fell from his lips.

"It's... alright…"

The red-eyed jounin quickly looked up in surprise as she heard the near whisper of Naruto's words reach her ears.

"I... I don't blame you for what happened." The boy continued solemnly. "It's just that..."

"I know..." the jounin cut him off. "I understand how you feel and I don't expect for you to ever fully trust me. I just want you to trust me enough to help you through this problem. After that, you can decide whether or not you ever want to see me again."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding and then stood from the swing.

"Alright... just tell me what you need me to do."

In response to his cooperation Kurenai gave out a deep sigh of relief, trying to contain the hidden joy she felt inside, before speaking once more.

"Okay then Naruto, the first thing I need you to do is to try and remember how you activated your abilities. I need you to repeat everything you did on those two nights."

--

Naruto tried to do everything as Kurenai had suggested, but the more he attempted to reenact what happened, the more he felt like he would never be able to do it. The jounin herself just continued to watch on in quiet anticipation as the boy slowly tried to call on the same feelings and emotions that had triggered the attack on his assailants, but she began to realize that he would never be able to forcefully resurface those emotions again.

After a few more minutes of failed attempts, the woman began to grow desperate. She knew she had only one choice left, and it wasn't one she wanted to resort to. Kurenai bit the top of her lip and cringed at the thought of what she was about to do, trying prepare herself for the pain she was about to see in Naruto's eyes.

"I knew it!" She began harshly, gaining the boy's attention.

"I guess those guys at the orphanage were right about you after all. Maybe you deserved everything that happened to you."

Naruto took a frightened step backwards as the bitter words sank into his heart, his eyes instantly filling with panic and grief. The mere sight of his confusion an fear caused Kurenai to yelp under her breath despite herself, but she quickly managed to hide her mistake from the boy's view. She couldn't allow Naruto to see her true feelings just yet and she had to keep up the act despite how it tore at her heart.

"B... but I thought you...."

"You thought wrong!" Kurenai cut the choking boy off. "I can't believe Iruka would take on a useless pile of trash like you, I mean what was he thinking?"

Naruto's eyes began to flood with tears as the woman's words continued to tear away at his soul, but even then, despite his fear, he couldn't help the anger that began to take hold of him.

"D... don't say that about Iruka sensei. He's the only one who ever cared about me. You don't know anything!"

Naruto's sobs grew even louder than before as his cries of defense whispered across the afternoon air. Kurenai noticed a brief flash of gold flicker in his eyes and realized she was getting closer to her goal, she only needed to push him a little bit further.

"How could that idiot love you? If he's that stupid, then perhaps you two deserve each other after all. Iruka's nothing but a useless, ignorant man who doesn't even..."

"**STOP IT!!!"** Naruto cut her off. **"STOP SAYING THOSE THINGS ABOUT IRUKA-SENSEI!!!**

Suddenly Naruto's eyes were completely enveloped in a shining hue. His once blue orbs now shone a pure, defiant gold and locked into Kurenai's own astonished gaze with their convicting stare.

The young woman instantly felt a sudden rush of excruciating pain and grief fill into her entire body thereafter, crippling her completely as her muscles began to collapse under her in agony. She tried desperately to fight against it, raising her trembling hands together to release the genjutsu before she was completely consumed by it.

If it wasn't for her jounin endurance to pain she would have never been able to bear the agony, but even still it took all of her willpower just to at all. Her trembling hands slowly clamped together soon afterwards, followed by desperate cry as she called out in panic.

"**Kai!!!"**

A sudden surge of chakra erupted throughout the jounin's body following her call, disrupting her own flow of chakra in order to release the genjutsu's hold, but nothing happened and the pain just continued to fill around her.

"Why can't I...."

Kurenai's thoughts were abruptly flooded with raw emotions, causing her agonized body to collapse onto one knee despite her efforts to fight against it. She tried to keep herself from falling into unconsciousness altogether and quickly looked up to see the golden eyed boy staring back at her, her eyes pleading for him to stop.

Naruto, however, seemed to be desperately lost in a trance, completely unaware of what was happening right in front of him. After struggling against the suffocating pain that held her paralyzed, Kurenai tried to call out to him with all her strength, to get him to release his crippling hold.

"N... N.... Naruto! Please... stop!!"

Suddenly, the boy's eyes returned to their normal blue shade and his mind quickly snapped back into reality. The trembling form of the crippled jounin in front of him caught his panicked gaze soon afterwards, prompting him to mumble in surprise.

"K... Kurenai?! W.... what's happening to you?"

However, Kurenai simply couldn't answer. Her body was still held in the dreadful agony that crippled her and tears were now streaming down her cheeks. Naruto, realizing that he had caused all of this pain, quickly ran up to the woman and threw his arms around her.

"I... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it! I never wanted to see someone in this kind of pain again!"

At the instant of Naruto's touch, Kurenai's body began to relax again, calming under the emotions that rushed from Naruto's embrace. The young boy began to cry on her shoulders moments later, wallowing in the guilt of causing someone else so much harm.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." He continued to mumble over and over.

The jounin trapped in his hold couldn't believe what she was hearing in amongst Naruto's sobs. Despite all the pain she just put the boy through, he was still apologizing to her as if he was the one to blame. She quickly moved her recovering arms around his small body and rocked him in her embrace.

"Sshhh... don't cry Naruto, it's not your fault. I'm the one that caused all of this."

Kurenai then stroked Naruto's back in a similar manner she had seen Iruka do so only moments before, trying to lessen his sobs and ease the guilt she felt flowing out of him. After a few more minutes had passed, she then pulled back from the hug and gained Naruto's eyes.

"I'm so sorry Naruto. I didn't mean any of those things I said, but there was just no other way for me to help you. Can you... can you ever forgive me?"

Naruto could feel Kurenai's honesty flowing into his body and he knew she was being sincere in her words. He slowly began to lessen his tears and wiped his eyes, before nodding his head in understanding.

Although it was painful for him to hear those words, he realized that she was only trying to help him. After receiving the boy's silent response, the jounin stood up to her feet again, trying to shake off the images that reeled through her mind, and grabbed Naruto's quivering hand once more.

"Come... lets go see your sensei. I'm sure you could use a hug from him as well and I'll bet he's worried about how you're doing."

Naruto gave a teary nod of approval and followed in Kurenai's stead as her hand guided him back the academy hallways. He didn't know why, but the boy suddenly trusted her not to harm him. Somehow he had seen something inside of her when he caught her in his gaze, something that told him that she really did care for him as much as she said. It was the same type of thing he saw when he looked into the eyes of his abusive warden.

The two slowly made their way off the field hand in hand while Kurenai went through what had just happened in her mind. Whatever Naruto had attacked her with, she wasn't able to stop it at all, even after forcing chakra into her own body. Only Naruto's touch seemed to break its impossible hold over her.

Kurenai had no doubt that if he hadn't intervened, she would have probably also ended up in hospital as well. The jounin was beginning to wonder if it really was, in fact, a genjutsu she had been hit with. She silently promised herself that she would never subject Naruto to that kind of pain again. Now that she had a small clue on his abilities, she was that much closer to discovering Naruto's secret and helping the boy deal with the powers he had deep inside.

--

A new bond of trust forms for Naruto, allowing his heart to share it's burden with another caring soul. Now Kurenai moves to uncover the boy's secret and discover what this strange ability actually is.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)


	7. Chapter 7 Nightfall

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Now that a small part of the mystery has been revealed, Kurenai prepares herself for the coming trials that will face Naruto. The boy now has two caring souls to look out for him, offering the promise of a newfound hope. A small flame begins to burn anew, awakening a power that will change Naruto's life forever.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 7 - Nightfall**

The last remnants of the warm Konoha sunlight slowly wisped away beyond a glowing horizon, holding in its diminishing gaze the silhouetted figures of three somewhat uncomfortable souls. Naruto's small feet shuffled through the dusty street bellow him has he walked home with his two defenders at his sides, hiding him from the cruel stares from the villagers around him.

Kurenai began to feel the same kind of protective urge flow over her that she knew Iruka felt as well. She wouldn't allow a hand to fall on the boy that she was now growing to understand and accept. This was her vow, her promise, and she would see it through until her last dying breath.

The boy in question carefully hid behind the two every time a villager would walk past, wincing in fear as their eyes followed his form. He knew they hated him, he knew that they would try to hurt him if they ever got the chance. He quickly pulled up against Iruka's side and allowed the chunin's arm to fall over his back.

Naruto just needed to feel the comforting emotions coming from his sensei's touch, while allowing its soothing hold to ease his fears. It was the only thing that kept the boy from breaking apart under the cruel stares of those around him. Kurenai looked over the two with a saddened heart, cringing at the fact that the boy had to go through such lengths just to feel safe. It wasn't fair for such a young soul to be condemned to such a fate and soon the jounin found herself tensing up inside with a dreadful anger.

Iruka himself couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable knot form in his stomach as they made there way through the darkening streets. When he saw Naruto and Kurenai walking back into the academy a few minutes earlier, he could see the distress etched on both of their features.

The fact that they walked in together hand in hand completely baffled the chunin as well. What exactly happened out there between the two to create such an unusual situation? The chunin, however, shrugged off his thoughts on the matter, knowing that he'd have the chance to ask Kurenai later.

Right now, he had to concentrate on the boy beside him. It had been a long day for Naruto and was no doubt by now exhausted.

As the chunin looked down at the young blond boy next to him, an enticing idea suddenly popped into his mind. He decided then and there that he would hold a little dinner in celebration of Naruto passing his exams.

He could imagine it already. The glowing smile on Naruto's messy cheeks and the wondrous blue eyes that showed his approval for food, Iruka inwardly giggled at the thought of it, and he knew just what kind of meal the boy would want.

He also wanted Kurenai to come as well. He wanted her to see Naruto smile and be happy, to see the glow on his face and the reward it held for one's heart. The only thing she had seen so far was his sadness and fear. She had never experienced he joy that could flow from his grin and the warmth it made one feel inside.

Iruka's lifting thoughts were momentarily jarred as they finally arrived outside the small house near the edge of the village. Kurenai looked almost disappointingly over at her two companions and then smiled in despondence.

"So... I guess I'll see you two tomorrow then?" The jounin looked down to Naruto's face as if to gain the boy's approval. She was still afraid that he wouldn't trust her any more, especially after what happened between them a few moments earlier.

Her heart was put at ease, however, when the boy allowed an approving nod followed by his own brief smile. It warmed her heart to know that he was finally beginning to trust her, even if only a little.

"Alright then... I'll see you two after school." Just as Kurenai turned to walk away, Iruka called out to her with a small yelp catching in his voice.

"Wait, Kurenai..."

The jounin immediately stopped in her tracks and turned to face a blushing Iruka. The chunin had 'shoot me' written all over his face, but he still somehow managed to find the words he was looking for.

"Um... I just wanted to know... well I was wondering... um, if you wanted to join us for dinner?"

Both Naruto and Kurenai stared at the red-faced chunin in complete shock, causing him to sweat under the increasing pressure of their gaze.

"Y... you know..." He continued uneasily. "... to celebrate Naruto passing his exam and all."

Naruto just rolled his eyes in disbelief. He didn't have to be touching Iruka to know the man was falling apart in his shoes, but even still he could feel the man's unease flowing from his touch. Kurenai however, just gave off another gentle smile and then nodded in approval.

"Sure thing... I'd love to join you two. That is... if it's alright with Naruto."

Both of the shinobi stared down at the blond, waiting for his approval. When he gave it in the form of a grin, Iruka felt his heart begin to relax, slowing down the blood flow that rushed to the chunins glowing face. "Great!" He promptly walked up to the entrance to his house and opened the door for Kurenai and Naruto to enter inside.

Once everyone was through the door, they removed their footwear at the entrance and then made their way into the comfort of the living room. Iruka prompted the other two to sit down on the sofas and relax while he got the food ready. He quickly disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the other two alone together. Once he was out of view, they both just sat there in an uncomfortable silence, neither knowing what to say to one another.

Naruto didn't even seem to know how to handle these kinds of awkward situations because soon the boy's face was once again falling into an uncomfortable frown. Kurenai watched with interest as the young boy slowly twiddled his thumbs together, almost seeming to try and find any words to break the deafening silence. It was clearly obvious that the years of solitude in the orphanage had hampered the boy's ability to start a simple conversation, so instead Kurenai spoke up first instead.

"So... those eyes of yours looked really incredible today. I've never seen anything like them before in my entire life."

The jounin's words seemed to immediately spark Naruto's interest because the boy's face quickly shot up to meet her, instantly losing the frown for a more fascinated expression.

"Really... what did they look like? What did you see?"

Kurenai giggled at the boy's pleading expression, his face was filled with both wonder and excitement, something that she hadn't seen in Naruto until right now.

"Well... they shone like pure gold for one thing, the purest gold I've ever seen. They even matched your hair colour a little bit more." Naruto's eyes lit up in complete amazement as he tried to imagine what Kurenai described.

"Wow! That's so cool! I wish I could see what they looked like!"

"Well..." Kurenai responded. "Once you learn how to control it properly, I guess you could look at your reflection in the mirror and see for yourself."

The truth is, the way Naruto's eyes looked were more than what Kurenai could explain at the time. She could see something else when she looked into the boy's golden orbs, something that seemed almost... supernatural. She couldn't find the words to describe it, but the jounin knew that they weren't anything like the other doujutsu she had seen before. Before Kurenai could think on it any longer, Iruka made his way back into the room with three bowls of food on his tray.

He was happy to notice the relaxed and somewhat excited look on Naruto's face as the boy turned to see him. It seemed as though he was growing a lot more comfortable around Kurenai, despite their short time together. The chunin was beginning to wonder if it had anything to do with what happened at the academy. "Well, it's good to see these happy faces" he sighed as he made his way over towards the two.

Iruka grinned in satisfaction as he handed out the bowels of food. He knew Naruto would like what they were having and true to his expectations, the chunin gained an instant chuckle of excitement from the blond when the boy realized that they would be eating ramen for dinner tonight.

Kurenai herself managed a smile as she watched Naruto gleefully dig into his new favorite food while slurping a barely audible 'thank you' to his sensei. Iruka then sat down himself and began to eat his own steaming meal. There wasn't a single word to be said as the three of them sat there in silence, with only Naruto's slurps breaking through the seemingly endless quiet.

It was enough for the two older shinobi to just watch the boy smiling as he finished off the bowel with little effort.

"Thanks Iruka-sensei!" Naruto announced gratefully. "Your ramen almost tastes as good as Ichiraku's!"

The man simply nodded his head in response and flashed a warm smile. Of course it wasn't long before the blond was downing another fresh helping, happily grinning away as he ate. Kurenai was completely astonished by how much food managed to disappear into such a small body.

'_Is that a part of his bloodline as well?'_ She mused quietly to herself, before giggling at her own personal thoughts.

After they had all finished their well-prepared meals, Naruto assisted Iruka in carrying the dishes to the sink and once again helped him wash them in the warm soapy water. Kurenai watched quietly from the doorway as the two playfully splashed one another with foam, her face lighting up every time Naruto giggled in happiness with the white bubbles running down his whiskered cheeks.

This was a different Naruto to the one she had seen earlier. This boy was happy in the protective comfort of his own home where no cruel eyes could shatter his soul. The jounin watching could now see just how loving Iruka was around and quietly mused how good of a father he would make for the child. Once the two 'boys' were done playing with the foaming water, Iruka helped Naruto dry his hands and then led the boy to his room.

Their jounin guest followed them down the hallway and continued to look on with a heart-warming smile as she watched Iruka tuck Naruto under his blankets. She was almost brought to tears by how easily the blond found so much happiness in such simple acts of love.

The young man that had made it all happen sat quietly next to the boy's bed and stroked his back in a soothing comfort, lulling him into the ever present grip of sleep. As Naruto's eyes slowly fell closed and his breathing began to steady, the chunin leaned over to whisper one last time into the boy's ear.

"Naruto... I'm so proud of you for today. You're a great kid and I'm sure your parents would be happy to see what you've achieved."

Naruto yelped at the sound of his sensei's words, his eyes shooting back open to reveal the shimmer of gold that had since enveloped them. He then turned onto his back and looked up to see the loving eyes that stared back at him, before throwing his arms around the chunin and pulling him down into a rather awkward hug.

"T... thanks Iruka sensei, thanks for everything."

The chunin then gave Naruto one last squeeze goodnight and then walked out towards the doorway where Kurenai was silently watching, leaving Naruto to his new found dreams. Once he stepped outside, he gently closed the door behind him and then looked over to the woman that held him in her stare.

"You're really good with him you know." She offered sincerely. "I can see why he loves you so much."

Iruka began to smile even more at that, walking with Kurenai as the two made their way back into the living room. Once they had both sat down again, Iruka began to speak his thoughts.

"You know, when he first moved in here, he was so happy to finally have a home that he accidentally called me 'dad'."

The dark haired chunin chuckled slightly at the memory of what he was explaining, but it was more of an empty chuckle than anything else.

"I guess.... I guess the excitement of moving into a new house had really gotten to him."

Kurenai, however, simply looked over to the scarred chunin, regarding him uncomfortably as his face slowly fell back into a frown. He almost seemed... disappointed in himself for some short falling on his part.

"Are... you sure what Naruto said was accidental?" She inquired carefully. "Or are you just afraid of the implications of his words?" Iruka flinched in surprise at that, looking over to the red-eyed jounin as she spoke to him.

"I... it's just that... I'm not sure I have what it takes to give Naruto the life he deserves. I don't know if I can be a father that he can look up to, one that he can be proud of. In case you haven't noticed, I haven't exactly achieved anything special in my life."

Kurenai walked up from her own chair and sat down next to the slouching man. She slowly rested her hand on his shoulder and gained his eyes with her own reassuring gaze.

"I think you'd make an excellent father. There is no one in this village that can give Naruto a better life than you can. I can see it on his face when he's around you. He is truly happy when he's being held in your arms. You've achieved more than you could possibly imagine. To make a child happy and to love them, if that isn't the pinnacle of one's achievements then I don't know what is." Iruka blinked his eyes in surprise and then allowed himself to smile.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"It's only the truth." Kurenai responded, gaining another blush from the chunin. "Most kids would be ecstatic to have a loving father like you."

The two sat there in another moment of awkward silence thereafter, thinking on the words shared between them, until Iruka began to speak once more.

"So... what exactly happened between you and Naruto while I was inside the academy? I mean, when you came back he looked a little bit panicked. You didn't look so great yourself for that matter." Kurenai's face took on a more saddened expression. What she was about to tell Iruka would hold a lot of weight for the chunin to bear.

"Iruka, there's something I need to tell you. I know this may upset you but I only hope you can find it in your heart to understand." The scarred chunin took a deep, dreaded gulp. He didn't like the sound of where this was going. "Today, while we were outside together... I... I managed to activate Naruto's bloodline. I did it in a terrible way that I know I shouldn't have and I'm not proud of that fact. I... I'm sorry."

Iruka's expression quickly fell into a frown.

"You... you upset him didn't you?" He growled firmly. "You hurt him in order to force him into activating it."

Kurenai gave a guilty nod, causing Iruka to scowl in disapproval. He then stood up from the chair and began to pace in frustration.

"I can't believe you would do something like that! I trusted you enough to be alone with him and this is what you go and do! Do you have any idea what kind of pain he has to deal with, just for you to go and bring all those hurtful emotions up again?!"

"Yes... I do actually!" Kurenai cut him off, glaring back at the fuming sensei with hardened eyes. Iruka paused in surprise, wondering what the jounin meant by her words. He then slowly seated himself down on the nearby chair, before calming himself down and waiting quietly for her to explain.

"You... you were right after all." She began, her voice once again growing calm.

"Naruto's bloodline is a doujutsu and a powerful one at that. When he looked into my eyes, it was like I could feel all the pain and sadness that he had accumulated inside."

Tears then began to form in the jounin's eyes as she desperately tried to recount what she had experienced.

"It... it was like I was Naruto. It felt like I was in his battered body, feeling all of his pain and grief. I could see all the hateful eyes around me, staring at me with all the cruelty they could muster and when... when..." Iruka quickly moved over to sit next to the sobbing woman, placing his hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"When they started... beating him... It was like I was the one being hurt. Every single blow, every curse they spat and all the tears he cried... I felt it all. I don't think I could ever forget the memories of what I experienced, it was all just to terrible for words to describe."

Kurenai began to break down in Iruka's arms, crying in his shoulders as the pain of those awful memories flowed through her mind. She couldn't understand how a young boy like Naruto had survived so long after all that torture, how he still managed a glowing smile even though those memories haunted his soul.

How could he live with the same pain that had brought a jounin to her knees in tears in a matter of seconds?

After a few minutes of quiet sobbing, Kurenai eventually pulled out Iruka's arms and then wiped away her tears. They both sat in complete silence for a while, staring into each other's eyes, before Iruka finally began to speak again, this time in a near whisper.

"So... what was it like?"

Kurenai looked over to the scarred chunin in confusion, her eyes still recovering from the tears she shed.

"His eyes, I mean. I've seen them change every now and again. They keep flashing gold whenever he gets excited or upset. What did you see Kurenai?"

The said woman tried to think about her answer. How could she explain something she didn't fully understand herself? The words just came out in the only way she could form them.

"His eyes... they were beautiful." She spoke softly, her thoughts lingering on the breathtaking gaze that had momentarily stolen her soul.

"I've never seen anything like it before. When he looked at me, it was like staring into the gaze of heaven itself. Of course, I never really had much time to look properly, because soon after that all hell broke loose." Iruka nodded in understanding, trying to picture everything that she was describing.

"So, was it a genjutsu that he used on you?" Kurenai shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. All of my experiences with genjutsu so far tell me that this definitely wasn't one. Normally, a genjutsu disrupts a persons chakra pathways, manipulating its flow to the brain in order to cause the person's mind to start hallucinating. What they see and feel when under those effects are all just illusions that may cause psychological damage, but otherwise have no actual physical effect on the body. This, however, was completely different."

"Different how?" Iruka asked curiously, trying to coerce the jounin to continuing.

"Well, when someone is caught in a genjutsu, they should be able to release it by forcing chakra through their bodies in order to disrupt the illusion or have someone else do the same. When I tried that, it was like it had no effect at all. Whatever this attack was, it wasn't affecting my chakra flow in any noticeable way, but it wasn't completely physical either. Whatever pain I was feeling, whatever emotions flowed through my body, it was all definitely real. This was no illusion or genjutsu and I'm not even sure if there is anything I can classify it as at this point in time."

Iruka tied to absorb everything that Kurenai was telling him, but she looked just as confused about it as he felt. The closer they seemed to be getting to the answers of Naruto's bloodline, the more elusive the mystery became. After Kurenai had explained everything she knew, Iruka slowly stood from his seat and closed his eyes in thought.

"We'll have to spend more time together with Naruto if we're ever going to figure this out. I'll inform the Hokage of our progress as soon as possible. In the mean time I'd like you to continue your investigation into the effects of Naruto's doujutsu. You know more about its capabilities than anyone else at this point in time." Kurenai looked up in surprise.

"You mean... you're still going to allow me to go near him after everything I did?" Iruka slowly nodded in confirmation.

"Although I don't like the way you handled things, I do understand you were only trying to help Naruto and besides, he seems to trust you as well and that counts for a lot in my books." Kurenai then stood up as well and gave a grateful nod to the chunin.

"Thanks Iruka, I promise I won't disappoint you or Naruto. I'll head of to the library tomorrow morning. Maybe they'll have some information on these eyes of Naruto's. After that I'll come over to the academy and we can continue our evaluation."

The chunin gave his approval, to which Kurenai gave out a relieved sigh.

"Well then... I guess I should be going home now. We'll need our rest for tomorrow if we're to be at our best." The jounin finished, before turning to walk over to the door. However, before she could get far, Iruka placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.

"Wait Kurenai, its getting very late outside and we've had a very long day. After what happened to you I don't feel comfortable leaving you home alone. I think it would be better if you slept here tonight. I have a spare bedroom that you can use if you like?"

Kurenai smiled and then turned to face Iruka again. She really was tired and the chunin did have a point.

"Sure thing... that sounds great."

Iruka couldn't help but smile in light of her response. He then led the exhausted jounin over to her room and then, after making sure she was comfortable, slowly made his way to his own. The tired chunin quickly flopped into the warm embrace of his bed soon afterwards, allowing his thoughts to wander once more as they usually did while he lay there each night.

The new academy training would be starting tomorrow and he had to help Naruto catch up to the rest of his class. He couldn't break his promise to the blond boy that had now become like a son to him. They had to gain a handle on this doujutsu he was displaying otherwise the long term consequences may be severe.

--

**AN:** Whew! That was a difficult one! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)


	8. Chapter 8 Devising a Plan

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

A new chapter opens in Naruto's life. A time of change and growth is on the horizon and the young boy now has caring souls to help him find his path.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)

--

**Chapter 8 – Devising a Plan**

An icy cold grip began to seep into the body of a small young boy as cool moisture slowly soaked into his clothes. Naruto's body began to quiver in the ensuing chill, his eyes beginning to open to reveal the dark tattered hallway around him.

"W... where am I?" The blond slowly pushed his hands against the icy ground and picked his body up from the cold hard floor beneath him. It was completely dark, and the walls were filled with dripping pipes and rusted metal. Naruto felt his heart fill with a sickening fear as his eyes absorbed the scene around him. It looked too much like the part of his orphanage that the young boy once occupied. The constant dripping of water as it hit the floor filled Naruto's mind with the memories of his old room where his daily nightmares tortured his soul.

The young boy's eyes desperately searched around for a familiar face, anything to make him feel safe and to let him know that this was all just a nightmare. After finding nothing, he slowly made his way down the dark watery hallways, calling out for his sensei with a desperate tone in his voice.

"Iruka-sensei! Where are you?!" There was no answer, only the echoes of his ever wavering voice as it was carried down the seemingly endless hallway.

Naruto remained silent for a while, hoping... praying that someone would find him and protect him. He just wanted to hear his sensei's voice, to know everything would be fine, but something pulled at his gut telling him that this was all terribly wrong. Suddenly, as if to confirm his instincts, a large growl reverberated throughout the dark hallways, freezing Naruto in his tracks as fear gripped his soul.

"W... who's there?" Naruto yelped, stepping back in fear. Again, there was no answer.

Naruto felt the tears begin to form down his cheeks as he closed his eyes in complete terror. He didn't know what to do, he didn't even know where he was, he only knew that he was all alone again. Just as he was about to fall apart on the spot, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Aw, are you lost little Naruto? Maybe you could use a _gentle_ helping hand." The boy shot around to see who had called out to him, but his eyes widened in horror as an all to familiar figure stepped out from the shadows, a figure that had haunted his dreams and tore away at his soul.

"Why the long face? I thought you'd be happy to see me. Perhaps you need another 'lesson' in manners?" Naruto felt his heart fall apart in his chest. It was the same warden that he had hospitalized two nights before.

"No... not you again. No!" Naruto began to step back in fear as the tears streamed down his cheeks. He didn't want to get hurt anymore, he didn't want to feel that pain all over again. Why wasn't Iruka-sensei there to protect him? The boy gave out a yelped panic and called for his teacher. "Iruka-sensei... please help me!"

The only reply the boy got was cruel snicker, revealing another person as he stepped forward from the depths of the shadows. Naruto's face crumbled even more at the sight of Mizuki.

"Your sensei isn't here to save you this time Nine-tailed Fox! Now I can finally have my fun with you." The boy couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Why... why is this happening again? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Naruto watched in disbelief as more figures made there way out of the shadows, revealing the long hateful stares of the villagers he had been subjected to his entire life. The crowd slowly formed up on the young boy who was now completely frozen in place by his own panic. His body began to quiver on the spot, his legs threatening to give way underneath him at any moment.

Suddenly, the same murmured growl he heard before filled throughout the hallway again, shaking Naruto out of his trance. It was almost as though it was calling him towards it. The boy quickly turned his back on those hateful eyes and ran down the damp pathways as quickly as possible, cringing his face in tears as the footsteps of his pursuers filled behind him.

"Come back you little monster!"

"We'll show you love and comfort!"

"Once we're done, your sensei won't even recognize you!"

Naruto didn't know where he was going, he only knew that he had to get away from those that would harm him. But the further he ran down the dark endless path, the louder the monstrous growls became. After running for what felt like an eternity, he suddenly entered into a large room at the end of the long hallway. It was filled with the same dripping pipes and water-ridden floors as the rest of the labrynth. Naruto ran out into the centre of the clearing and stopped just in front of a large cage with rusting iron bars. There in the centre of its massive structure was a small, white piece of paper with a single symbol written on it. Naruto tried to make out what it said, but soon the cries of his pursuers caught up to him.

The blond quickly turned around, only to see the angry mob that had been chasing him file into the room. They slowly circled the young boy and moved to close around him. Naruto, completely gripped in fear and his own tears, collapsed to his knees and covered his face with cupped hands. The cruel snickers of those around him could still be heard as there feet shuffled closer to the boy.

"Please... no more! I don't... I don't want to be hurt any more!" Naruto began to drown in his tears as the dark, menacing figures closed in around him, ready to inflict their cruel tortures once more. Suddenly a large rumble echoed throughout the hallway shaking the very floor on which Naruto knelt. The world around the young boy exploded into flames and then suddenly turned dark again, encasing him once more in shadows and emptiness.

--

"Aaahhhh!!!!"

Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open as he launched up from his bed, revealing the morning light around him as he shot into an upright position. The young boy quickly looked around him in panic only to find that he was in his room once again. He held his hand up to his cheek to feel the sweat and tears running over his whiskers, his breathing a heavy pant.

"It... it was just a nightmare." Naruto tried desperately to calm himself. There was no-one trying to hurt him, no dark eyes to tear apart his soul, only the warmth of the still rising sun and his soft blankets. The young boy slowly moved his feet over the side of his bed and stepped down onto the floor beneath him. His heavy breathing slowly began to lessen, eventually returning to near normal. He was up a bit earlier than usual, but the boy knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep again after that, so he slowly made his way out of the door and down to the bathroom. He might as well start getting ready for school.

The blond slowly made his way down the hallway, trying not to make a noise lest he wake Iruka up. He stepped into the bathroom and climbed on a standing board to look into the mirror. His face looked as though a falling tree had just hit him. The boy slowly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and when he opened them again, a small flash of gold briefly shone back at him.

"W… was that?...." Naruto brushed it off.

His mind was still reeling from the pain and terror he felt in his nightmare. The boy promptly removed his sweat-logged clothes and stepped into the shower. He didn't enjoy it's tingling sensation this time however. Naruto could barely even feel the soothing water as it touched lightly against his skin. He just stood there, playing back the memories of what he had just experienced over and over again. It all felt so real, like it was actually happening to him. He could still feel the icy cold chill that had seeped into his bones and the terrible taunts of his phantom pursuers still rung in his ears.

Naruto just stood there for what felt like forever, his body almost acting on it's own accord as he cleaned himself in a mesmerized trance. The sound of running water felt too familiar, reminding him of the dripping pipes he had seen in that dark nightmare. The boy turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower. His hand automatically reached for the towel beside him and he wrapped it around his waist. Naruto plonked his back against the cold wall and then slid down to the floor in tears, gently sobbing away the last remnants of terror that held his heart.

He just had to let it all out, release all the pain and fear he felt inside. For a moment, during his dream, he thought that he was once again consumed by the lonely hell that had trapped him his entire life. The thought of falling back into that terrible pit it terrified him completely. After a few more moments of crying had passed, Naruto reminded himself that he was still all right, he was still safe in his home. All he had to do was wait for Iruka to wake up so he could reassure himself in the man's comforting embrace.

Naruto shook of his emotions and raised his head in newfound determination, wiping the tears from his eyes. He couldn't allow his fears to rule his life. He couldn't allow his nightmares to bring him down any more. The boy had someone that cared for him and loved him and he had to hold onto that strength in order to continue. Naruto stood up from the floor and looked in the mirror again grinning back at himself in reassurance, but it was an empty grin.

"Alright! Today I'm starting my new training, so I have to be at my best." Naruto tried to pump himself full of enthusiasm, blocking out the painful memories with the comforting thoughts of the new day ahead. The boy did have a reason to be happy after all, he did pass his exams. He flashed one more reassuring smile back at himself and then ran to the door with newfound vigor, opening it slowly before darting outside. He quickly ran down the hallway towards the private safety of his room, but before he could reach the door, the boy came to a sudden halt as he slammed into the body of another person, landing on his rear as he hit the floor with a thud.

"Oh... sorry Iruka-sensei I didn't see..... you..... Kurenai?" Naruto looked up from his position on the ground as he scratched the back of his head, only to yelp in surprise as the widened eyes of Kurenai stared back at him. The boy noticed her cheeks start to flush red and then suddenly realized he was still only wrapped in the towel around him.

"Er... um... I..." Naruto was at a loss for words, his cheeks flushing a red all their own at the embarrassment of the situation. The jounin watched on with an astonished expression as his eyes began to shine a pure gold once again, only this time she could look into them with no ill effect.

"Um… hey N... Naruto." Naruto quickly shot up to his feet again and slunk past the dazed jounin, slipping into his room and promptly slamming the door shut. Kurenai could hear the grumbling moans coming from inside his room and let out a small humorous chuckle.

"What's she doing here?"

--

The air began to fill with the smell of freshly cooked food as Iruka slowly cooked their morning breakfast. Kurenai and Naruto sat quietly at the table in the kitchen, both saying nothing in the other's presence. They had since gotten dressed and ready and were now just waiting for their morning meal. Every time the jounin looked over to the blond boy, Naruto's eyes would drop to the table and his face began to flush a deep red. She still couldn't put her figure on what just happened. The last time Naruto looked into her eyes with his doujutsu active, she was enveloped by an excruciating pain.

This time, however, she felt absolutely nothing. She pondered on it for a moment and then deduced that Naruto's... 'attack' only occurred when the boy was in state of pain or emotional distress. Kurenai wondered what he saw while looking at her through those golden orbs. What kind of vision might they grant him? Hopefully it was nothing too… 'enlightening' for the boy.

Iruka happily walked to the table with a light breakfast for the three of them, grinning as he approached. As he handed out the plates of food, he noticed the absent-minded look on the other two faces in front of him. Naruto barely even managed a "thank you" when he was handed his own plate of food, something that bothered Iruka immensly. Once the chunin had sat down to his own meal he looked up across the table with curious eyes. Naruto just played with his egg, swishing it around with his fingers as though he were lost in a dream. Kurenai, on the other hand, was staring at the said boy with a keen interest embedded in her expression, almost lost in his small visage.

"So... um... did something... happen between you two?" Both of them jumped in their seats at the sound of Iruka's words, Naruto almost choking on the piece of toast he was slowly chewing on.

"N... no Iruka-sensei... nothing happened." the boy murmured, taking a gulp of milk to wash down the debris. Iruka would have believed the boy if it weren't for the fact that he was blushing furiously and Kurenai's giggle didn't help either.

"I guess I'll never know, will I?."

Once the three of them had uncomfortably finished there breakfast, Iruka helped Naruto pack his lunch and then they all made their way out the door. Kurenai had decided to walk with her two companions over to the academy, passing through the dusty streets of Konoha as the villagers began to set up their stores. After a few minutes they finally arrived at their destination and the jounin waved them off as they began to enter inside.

"I'll see you two this afternoon!"

Iruka turned and waved back while Naruto shrugged a small, embarrassed smile. The dark haired jounin then watched with a smile of her own as the two turned and disappeared behind the safety of the academy walls. Now all she had to do was visit the library to find out what she could about Naruto's... unique abilities. The more she could learn, the more she could help the boy in the coming days.

Iruka led Naruto down the bustling hallways and into the familiar classroom that had become like a second home to the boy. It was the only place, other than his new house with Iruka, that the blond felt relatively comfortable and safe in. He slowly prodded over to his usual seat and slumped back into its comforting hold. Pretty soon, the rest of his class filed in as well. The boy gained a few disgruntled stares followed by some snickering comments. He knew that the fact that he had passed his exam upset some of his more... unpleasant classmates, but he was happy about it nonetheless. Naruto slouched onto his table, resting his chin on his folded arms and waited patiently. Once everyone was inside, Iruka began to speak over their quieting voices.

"Alright, as I'm sure you are all aware by now, there have been a few changes in your class. Those who had failed Wednesday's assessment exam have already been removed and placed into a new group of trainees. Those of you who are left will now begin the next stage of academy training."

Everyone, including Naruto, began looking around the room, searching for the missing faces that had now disappeared from their ranks. Naruto was disappointed to see some of the meaner bullies that always teased him still in the room. He was, however, happy to see some of the more familiar faces that also weren't so bad. Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Sakura, Hinata, Shino, Kiba and Sasuke had all passed. None of them had really ever done anything to harm Naruto before even though they never really interacted with him either, so the boy wasn't too displeased that they were still there. Although Ino and Sakura could be really cruel to the blond when they wanted to be, they were still more bearable than some of the other kids.

The rest of that hour was spent in complete and utter boredom as Iruka explained the new weekly schedule to his students. It mostly consisted of more field training with weapons and coordination skills, as well as more advanced theory lessons in class. There was also a mention of some Jutsu and chakra control training that piqued the blond's interest considerably.

The worst part of it all though, was when Iruka mentioned that they would be holding sparring matches between the students once a week, starting from the next week, in order to compare each pupils individual advancement. The boy's heart began to sink at the thought of it. He knew some of the other boys in his class looked at him with disdain and would relish in the chance to hurt him if the opportunity presented itself. After all, he was the shortest (and weakest) in the group and his status as an orphan seemed to give them reason to dislike him, or at least that's what _he_ thought.

Once his chunin sensei had finished explaining their new regime, he sat at his desk and pulled out a box from underneath its surface. Inside was a pile of books filling it to it's surface.

"Alright, these are your new theory books that you'll be studying from during this stage in the academy. All the lessons we learned here in class will need to be studied further at home if you want to really get on top of your shinobi skills. If you have any questions, feel free to approach me or one of the other academy teachers and we'll explain everything you need to know. There are also training rooms available in the afternoons for extra practice if you feel the need to hone your abilities. Each of these will have a present instructor for further guidance and to make sure nothing goes wrong. You will be given passes to these facilities on Monday."

After the scarred chunin had finished his long-winded presentation, gaining a few muffled yawns from some of the more disinterested learners, he motioned for his class to come down and collect their books. After that was finished, class went on as usual.

--

Iruka had spent most of the day going through theory lessons. He knew that starting the physical training straight away was not a particularly good idea and it was already Friday as well. That could all start the following week. The scarred chunin looked on with a discomforting frown as he watched his blond haired student become lost in a fixated gaze. He knew Naruto would struggle with the reading, but the boy would normally at least pay attention when Iruka spoke. Something was bothering the young blond, he could see it in the boy's face. He seemed... detached almost, the same as he looked when Iruka found him sitting on the swing outside that day he came in with after being kicked out of the orphanage. It was a troubled look, one that usually hid a deeper problem the boy had bottled up inside.

The sensei looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed in relief to see that their time was almost up. At least he could ask Naruto now and find out what was wrong. The chunin turned to his class and closed the book in his hand.

"Alright class, We'll call it a day for now. I expect you to study the first chapter on advanced battle formations over the weekend. I _might_ be holding a spot test on Monday." The chunin only got a few disgruntled moans from his students, which he promptly brushed off. "Have a good weekend and remember what I said."

Everyone began to file out of the classroom, leaving behind a lone Iruka and Naruto. The blond boy didn't even move from his desk to hug his sensei today and Iruka began to grow worried. He walked up to where the boy sat and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Hey kiddo, something eating you?" Naruto snapped out of the trance that held him in its grip and looked up to his frowning sensei.

"I... I was just thinking that's all." The chunin could feel a bit of unease emanating from Naruto's touch. The blond couldn't hide anything from his sensei as long as he could still come into physical contact with Naruto and Iruka was starting to appreciate that part of the bloodline. He tugged the young boy's hand and motioned him out of the chair.

"Come... lets go for a walk outside."

Student and teacher slowly made their way out of the door and into the academy playground, seating themselves on the swings and swaying next to one another. Iruka knew when the boy was troubled, he could see it just by looking in his eyes as they followed the ground in despondence.

"Naruto... what's going on? I don't need to be touching you to know something's up. You do know you can trust me right?" Naruto slowly nodded his head and looked up to meet his sensei's eyes.

"Last night... I... I had a dream, well at least I think it was a dream. It felt so real that I'm actually not sure any more." Iruka followed his student's words closely, giving his undivided attention.

"What kind of dream was it?" The boy began to cringe as the memories of what he saw came rushing back to him.

"I... I was in this dark sewer that had all these pipes running around it. While I was there, I heard this growling sound that was really freaky and..." Iruka placed his hand over Naruto's, holding it in order to feel the emotions running through the boy's touch. "I was just scared... I thought I had been abandoned again. I thought you had left me."

The chunin quickly stepped of his swing and knelt in front of Naruto. He could feel the building tension flowing from the boy as he continued.

"Naruto... you know I'd never leave you right? I would never do anything to hurt you like that." Naruto nodded with a shallow expression. "So... what happened then?"

The blond drew a deep breath, shuddering in a slight quiver as he exhaled.

"I saw the same warden that used to beat me… and Mizuki as well. They had a whole lot of villagers with them and they were chasing me through the hallway. I've never felt so scared in my entire life."

Naruto's eyes began to water up, but the boy quickly pushed the tears back. He was tired of crying all the time, tired of allowing his pain and fears to conquer him. He gave himself a moment to recover and then bravely continued.

"While I was running from them, I came into this big room that had a giant cage in the middle of it. There was this white piece of paper on it with something written inside, I couldn't read it of course. That's when the others caught up to me and started to surround me. They were... they were going to hurt me just like they always did, but before they had the chance there was a sudden load roar and then I woke up again."

As Naruto explained his entire ordeal, Iruka could feel the boy's emotions shifting from one form to the other. At first, there was a lot of fear and pain, but when he described the large room there was more awe and confusion than anything else. After that, it was full-blown terror again when the boy described the rest of his dream before waking up. The chunin squeezed the blond's hand in comfort, reassuring him that everything was alright. Something bothered the chunin about this dream Naruto described but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. What was written on the piece of paper that the boy had seen? It was at times like this that Iruka cursed the fact that Naruto hadn't been taught to read properly. He quickly shoved his thoughts aside and then pulled the boy into a hug.

"Don't worry Naruto, it was just a dream, nothing more. I wouldn't let something like that ever happen to you again if I can do anything about it." Naruto relished in the comfort of his sensei's hold. The feelings he felt coming from the man's touch told him that Iruka meant every word and it was somewhat comforting to hear.

"I know Iruka-sensei, it was just scary without you there beside me." The chunin shrugged slightly, realizing just how dependant Naruto was on his constant presence. He would have to teach Naruto to be more independent, something his former hosts had never been able to achieve, but he wouldn't rush it lest he do any more damage to his already isolated soul. Suddenly a voice called out behind them.

"I thought I'd find you two out here."

The two shot around from their embrace and looked up to see a smiling Kurenai looking down at them, holding some notes in her hands. Standing next to her was a taller, masked man with a headband covering his one eye.

"Kakashi Hatake?" The said man raised his hand in greeting as Iruka called out his name.

"Good to see you Iruka. I see you're still managing to survive life in the academy." Kakashi's eyes then wondered over to the blond boy beside him. "Ah! And I suppose this must be Naruto Uzumaki." The said boy quickly yelped in panic and moved to hide behind Iruka. Kakashi's one visible eye widened in surprise at the awkward reaction, but Kurenai quickly placed her hand on his shoulder to explain.

"He's... not very good with strangers. You know... what I told you about Mizuki and all." The masked ninja nodded his head in understanding, he wouldn't press the issue any further.

Iruka stood from his haunches and walked over to the two of them, much to Naruto's growing discomfort. The last thing the boy needed now was another unknown variable to worry about. Naruto didn't know if he had it in him to allow another person to touch him again and he was pretty sure this _Kakashi_ wasn't there to arrange a camping trip.

The three moved away from the young boy, once again stepping out of the reach of his ears and then began to speak. Iruka was the first to talk.

"So, I assume you brought Kakashi here for a reason Kurenai?" Both jounin could hear the anguish in the chunin's voice as he spoke. It was obvious that the man wasn't very happy with the fact that Kurenai may have let Naruto's secret out. "Don't worry Iruka, I didn't tell him anything specific about Naruto, I only told him that he had a problem that needed solving. I wanted to gain your approval first before we tried anything."

"It's not my approval you need to receive. Naruto's the one that has to deal with the pain of dealing with these emotions, how do you think he'd feel with another stranger around? What is this about anyway?"

The mask ninja looked between the other two in complete confusion. He had no idea what was going on, only that he had been asked by Kurenai to assist her with a certain task that had been approved by the Hokage.

"Look Iruka, I did some digging around at the library to find out what I could about Naruto's... condition, but as I expected, none of the official records have any information on his 'you know what'." Iruka's eyes sank in disappointment, he was hoping to get at least some clue to Naruto's abilities. He was about to respond when Kakahsi interrupted them.

"Look, I'm sure you two have a lot of issues to deal with right now, but I still don't know what this has to do with me." Kurenai looked over to Iruka as if to ask his permission to explain. The young man reluctantly nodded his head in approval, prompting the woman to continue.

"Alright Kakashi, the fact of the matter is that Naruto seems to hold an advanced bloodline the likes of which we have never come across before. The reason I didn't tell you at first was because we needed to make sure you could be trusted with this information."

The masked jounin's visible eye widened in surprise. "So... I guess that does explain all the secrecy. What kind of bloodline is it exactly?"

"It's... a doujutsu, but there also seems to be some physical traits to it as well. I'm sure you've heard about the two people that have found there way into the hospital?" Kakashi nodded his head.

"I've heard some things here and there, but I usually don't regard gossip with much weight. That still doesn't explain why I'm here though." Kurenai let out a deep sigh and began to tell him what she knew. She told Kakashi about her own observations when working with the boy, as well as his described encounters with Mizuki and his abusive warden. Iruka would bump in every now and again to add his own two cents or to correct Kurenai on some details.

She then explained her own experience when she had locked eyes with the boy. Kakashi listened with a keen interest, nodding his head in fascination and trying to sort through all the information.

"So, you felt the effects of this doujutsu, what do you think happened to you exactly?" Kurenai thought on her answer for a moment.

"Well, I guess you could say the attack was neither chakra related or completely physical either and it definitely wasn't a genjutsu. The truth is I don't actually know what happened, only that I could do nothing to stop it. Judging by what I felt and saw, I'm assuming that Naruto is able to draw on the emotions and pain he's built up inside and release it all at once, transfering it to whoever his eyes are locked with. As for the... more physical side of his bloodline, it seems as though whenever Naruto touches another person, he forms a strange chakra link with them. Any emotions the boy is feeling flows freely between himself and the person he is in contact with. Unlike the doujutsu, however, only the emotions he is feeling right at that point in time are transferred and nothing more." Kakashi nodded his head in understanding. Although it wasn't much information to work with, he would have to make do.

"So then, what are your plans?"

Kurenai removed some of the notes that she was carrying and handed the other two each a copy.

"I've devised a training schedule with the third that may help Naruto deal with his abilities as well as improve his general performance in the academy. It has all already been approved by the Hokage, so you don't need to worry about any conflicting schedules." Each of them took a brief moment to look through their respective sheets before Kurenai continued.

"Kakashi, you're the only doujutsu user in Konoha that doesn't officially belong to any clan and as such you're also the only one we can trust around Naruto without fear of hidden agenda's or political backfire. I want you to try and help him learn to control his doujutsu and perhaps learn how to activate it at will. They may be different, but your experience with the Sharingan means you're the closest chance we have at understanding Naruto's doujutsu at all. I know I can't force you to do this, but he's just a young boy who really needs our help."

The masked carefully considered his fellow jounin's words. He looked up and over to the young blond sitting on the swing. He looked so sad, so vulnerable and something else caught Kakashi's eye. The copy ninja let out a sigh and then nodded his head in approval.

"I won't sit and watch as a child of Konoha suffers. We have to look after our future and this one is special as well. I'll do what I can." Kurenai burst into a grateful smile and then turned to the other male.

"Iruka, I think you should continue to help Naruto with his reading skills and other studying. The quicker he learns what he needs to know, the easier it will be for the rest of us." The chunin seemed to accept his role with no complaints. He had intended to help Naruto in those regards in any case.

"What about you? What will you do?"

"I'll be going through advanced chakra control exercises with the boy. We'll start with the tree climbing and water walking exercises and then once he's got those two down I might even move him on to minor genjutsu training to help improve his skills." Iruka looked at the woman with bewildered eyes.

"But, shinobi normally only undergo that kind of training after they become genin. It's too advanced for a kid Naruto's age."

"We have no other choice Iruka. If Naruto shares his feelings through touch, it may become dangerous for him if he comes into contact with a particularly nasty person. I'd hate to think what the consequences may be from that kind of exposure. If I can get him to suppress his chakra flow willingly, he may be able to limit the amount of emotions that travel between him and the person he touches. It's for his own safety."

The other two seemed to silently agree, although they knew the road ahead of them would be hard for them and especially for Naruto. After going through the rest of the details of their newly formed training schedule, they finally finished up with their long-winded conversation. "Alright, since there is no school for Naruto until Monday, I guess we can begin his training tomorrow. The sooner we start, the better. Besides, it will give Kakashi some time to get to know Naruto and hopefully earn his trust as well."

"So, we'll be seeing each other tomorrow morning then" Iruka murmured in despondence. The others agreed to that plan and then finished the conversation there.

The three of them bid farewell to each other, Kakashi disappearing in a puff of smoke and a wave while Iruka and Kurenai made their way to a impatiently waiting Naruto. The boy looked particularly upset by the fact that they were talking about him behind his back again, but a promise to visit Ichiraku's soon had him smiling again. Kurenai chuckled at the instant glee on the boy's face. It was so magical when he smiled, it was enough to brighten her day completely, no matter how bad it had been. The three made their way out the academy grounds with Naruto once again under Iruka's arms, heading off to the boy's favorite ramen stand for their evening meal. The scarred chunin sighed as the comforting emotions flowed from Naruto's touch and into his heart, it seemed as though the boy was feeling better already. They would start training Naruto properly from tomorrow onwards, he only hoped it would be enough to prepare him for the trials that awaited him.

--

This was another fairly long chapter. A small power failure has hampered my efforts to finish my latest chapter of 'The Shadow's Embrace' but I will have it up tomorrow.  
Thanks for the reviews so far and I hope you're enjoying the story! :)


	9. Chapter 9 A New Leaf

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Naruto's training begins!!! Will he be able to recover what so many years of neglect had taken from him?  
Read and find out! :)

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 9 - A New Leaf**

The early morning sunlight swept through the windows of the Hokage tower, as it's glorious golden form slowly climbed over the glowing horizon. Inside his office, an old man slowly contemplates the young boy whose life seems to be filled with both dreadful pain and wondrous opportunity. Sarutobi knew that however Naruto turned out, whether it would be good or bad, it would now depend on those that had sworn to protect and care for him. Sarutobi had been visited by Kurenai the previous day, whom had proposed a training schedule for the boy to develop his skills and learn to control his bloodline. Of course, he approved it without any problems and now Naruto had three shinobi ready to assist him with the trials that he faces.

There was only one thing that bothered the old man about all of this. He already knew about the Yondaime and his greatest sacrifice for the village, the remaining legacy that still walks the earth today. The loss of Minato Namikaze's own life was nothing for the young man to bare in comparison to the sacrifice of his sons happiness in the village of Konoha, because by sealing the Kyuubi into Naruto it also sealed his fate in a struggle against hatred and cruelty. Sarutobi already new that Naruto was the fourth's son but their was something amiss.

What the third couldn't figure out was the fact that neither of Naruto's parents had never shown any signs of the bloodline the boy seems to posses. Sarutobi had spent much time with his successor (and predecessor) and had met his wife Kushina Uzumaki on numerous occasions as well, but neither had ever confided in him about any clan secrets that might suggest such an ability. Not to mention the fact that both of them had never shown any physical traits to suggest that they held it as well, such as Naruto's emotional link formed through touch. There was only one other person who might have known about such a secret, one person who was closer to those two than anyone else.

"Perhaps it is time to call _him_ back? If there were any secrets in that family, he would be the only one to know about them."

--

The cold damp touch of dripping water slowly fell from the ceiling, soaking into the body of a young boy as he lay on the water-ridden floor. Naruto slowly woke up in its icy embrace, once again finding himself in the same ruins that had haunted his dreams the night before. The young boy sat up in a sudden panic, realizing that the cruel villagers that hated him so much might once again try to harm him in, but he only found himself back in the large room that he had run to before.

"What... what is this place? Why do I keep coming back here?"

Naruto slowly picked himself off the cold hard floor, holding his arms around himself in a warming hug as he shivered in the damp of his clothes. He looked around him, his eyes stumbling back onto the cage that he had seen the previous night.

He knew it was all a dream, or so he thought, but what he couldn't understand is what it's significance was. Why did his mind want to subject him to the coldness and cruelty he had experienced throughout his entire life all over again. Perhaps he himself didn't think he deserved the love and kindness he was now receiving in the arms of someone that cared for him. Naruto's thoughts on the matter were promptly shattered when his eyes caught sight of the white piece of paper in the centre of the cage.

"I wander what that means?" Naruto walked up to the white sheet, his eyes once again scanning the symbol it held on it's surface. He tried to read what it said, but found himself unable to do so. Suddenly a large rumbling growl sounded from inside the cage, causing Naruto to step back in fear.

"W... who's there?" Before anyone could answer, the boy's world once again fell into darkness, enveloping him in the embrace of it's hold.

--

Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open, revealing the warm comforting rays of the early morning sunlight. He picked himself off his back and sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes of the sleep that held them down.

"It... it was that same dream again." The boy could still feel the cold that had seeped into his body and the fear that had gripped his heart. Whatever this dream was, it wasn't natural in any sense of the word. Before he could think on it any longer, his door suddenly began to creek open, revealing a tired Iruka as he walked inside.

"Morning kiddo, it's time to... oh, I see you're already awake." Naruto looked over to his smiling sensei, but his face couldn't hide the emotions he felt inside. Iruka immediately noticed the concern on his student's expression and walked over to the side of his bed, seating himself next to the panic stricken Naruto.

"Another bad dream?" The boy just nodded.

"It... it was the same place that I saw last night, only this time there was no-one chasing me. I also saw the same cage that I found the last time. There... there was something inside of it, something big."

Iruka placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, squeezing it gently. He was trying to feel for any emotions that would help him out, but he only felt the same thing he had already seen on Naruto's face. Fear. The sickening embrace of pure terror. It was terrible to know that the blond was so easily gripped by its cruel embrace.

"Look Naruto, we'll figure out what this dream is, but you mustn't let it scare you too much."

"Alright Iruka-sensei, I'll try." Iruka smiled at that and scruffed Naruto's hair, gaining a small chuckle out of the boy and a newly formed grin.

"Now come, it's time to get ready. We've got special training for you today." Naruto's eyes shot straight into a look of glee.

"Really!? What kind of training?! Will I learn any powerful jutsu, like... like shooting giant fireballs out of my mouth?! Or maybe I can make a massive tidal wave out of water!" Iruka just laughed and stepped up from the bed.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see wont you?" With that, the chunin walked out of the door with Naruto shooting out behind him. It was going to be a long day for the two of them and they had to be ready. Naruto ran off to shower with a newfound enthusiasm, completely forgetting the dream he just had or the worries of his heart. Iruka, in the meantime, prepared their morning breakfast as he usually did, only this time he found his thoughts wondering on the dream Naruto had described.

Once the two of them were at the table and eating, Naruto's face fell into a stern look.

"Iruka-sensei, who was that man we saw yesterday, the one talking to you and Kurenai?" Iruka looked over to the curious boy and gave out a deep sigh. He knew Naruto would be a bit less than enthusiastic about another stranger coming into his life.

"That was a very powerful ninja named Kakashi Hatake. He's well known throughout the village of Konoha and his reputation has even spread through to the other countries as well. He's known as the copy ninja, because he has replicated over 1000 jutsu from other ninja in battle using his Sharingan." Naruto went into a look of awe, but then fell back into a more concerned expression.

"So, he has the Sharingan. I thought only the Uchiha carried that."

"Yes that's true, but he managed to acquire his through... extenuating circumstances. I'm not actually sure what happened, but I hear it was a tragic tale." Naruto nodded his head in thought.

"So... then, why were you two talking to him?" Iruka put down the piece of toast he had in his hand and placed his fingers between one another. He knew Naruto wasn't going to like what he was about to tell the boy, but better he knew sooner than later.

"Look Naruto, I won't lie to you. The fact of the matter is that we believe you hold an advanced bloodline. We also think it's a doujutsu of some sort which is how you did what you did to Mizuki and your warden." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.

"You... you mean I have something like the Sharingan?"

"Yes, I believe that's the case, which is why I've called Kakashi out to help you. He needs to teach you how to learn to use your doujutsu without hurting anyone." Naruto's eyes began to sink at the sound of Iruka's words.

"But Iruka-sensei, I don't want to learn from him, I don't want to even go near him. The only ones I trust are you and Kurenai-sama. I don't even know him." Iruka just gave out a deep sigh. It was going to take a lot of convincing to get Naruto to go through with this training.

"Naruto, I know he is a stranger, but he's also the only one who can help you control your abilities. Do you want someone else to get hurt?" Naruto's face cringed at the sound of his sensei's words and tears began to fall onto his cheeks, causing Iruka to regret what he had said.

"Naruto... "

"I didn't mean to hurt them..." Naruto cut him off. "I... I never wanted to see someone go through that kind of pain." Iruka stepped up from his chair and walked over to where the boy sat. He placed his hand on Naruto's head and pulled it towards his chest. Naruto just cried on his stomach, letting loose all the guilt he had inside.

"Naruto... I know you didn't mean to hurt them and I'm sorry if it came out that way, but we need to do this for your safety and everyone else. Do you understand?" Naruto pulled away from the hug and gave a small teary nod.

"Good. Kurenai and I will be with you the whole time so nothing will happen. You don't even have to touch Kakashi either if you don't want to, you just have to listen to what he has to say and follow what he tells you." Naruto began to dry the tears in his eyes and then the two finished up with their food.

After they had finished their meal and packed their lunch, the two set out of the house together, walking through the increasingly busy streets of Konoha towards their destination. Iruka led the boy to a training field usually used by the newly appointed genin teams. There was a small tranquil river that flowed past an open stretch of grass with trees dotting here and there. It was a nice quiet field for them to use and it was also far more secluded than the other training fields scattered around Konoha. They didn't want Naruto's secret getting out to the village after all.

As the chunin approached the open clearing with Naruto under his arm, The two jounin waiting for them slowly came into view. Kakashi, whom Iruka was surprised to see on time for once, was reading one of his 'Make out Paradise' books while Kurenai proceeded to glare at him with beady eyes. As soon as they noticed the other two approaching figures, Kakashi put away his novel and stood up from his position against the nearby tree.

"Good to see you two finally made it." Naruto cringed at the sound of the man's voice and quickly moved behind the protective shield that was Iruka. He knew he would have to train with the masked man, but he still didn't like the idea of being so close to someone he didn't even know. Once they had closed the distance between them, the three adults shared their greetings with one another while Naruto remained just out of reach.

Hey Naruto! How are you doing this morning?" Kurenai smiled, walking up to the timid boy. She knelt down in front of the blond and held his hand in her own. She was the only person other than Iruka who he allowed to touch him. Not even his classmates could get near him. He gave her an awkward smile and then lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"I... I'm doing fine thanks and you?" Kurenai grinned at that. It seemed as though Iruka had managed to teach the boy the importance of manners.

"I'm great, because today I get to spend time with my favorite boy." As soon as she said that, a burst of warm emotions flowed out of Naruto's hand and into her own, replacing the anxiety she could feel up until now. He let loose a massive grin, she had called him her favorite boy and he could feel her sincerity through his touch.

"Alright, I'm sure Iruka has told you what is happening today, am I correct?" The boy gave out an approving nod. "Good, I'll be training with you first. What I'm going to be teaching you is some advanced chakra control exercises that normally only get taught to graduating genin so you better be ready for a rough day." Naruto jumped up and down in excitement.

"Yes! This is going to be so cool! Maybe then I can finally learn some awesome jutsu!" Kurenai had to quickly calm the boy before he got too carried away in his thoughts.

"No Naruto, you won't be learning any _'awesome jutsu'_ just yet. This is to teach you how to control the flow of you chakra towards different parts of your body for effectively."

"But if I'm not doing any jutsu, why am I learning it then?" Kurenai stood to her feet and then walked him ever to the nearby tree.

"Naruto, have you ever noticed what happens when you touch someone? You know... like any strange feelings coming from them?" Naruto thought about the question for a while.

"Well, yea I did kinda. Every time I touch someone, it feels weird sometimes, like I can feel what they are feeling almost. I think they can also feel what I'm feeling as well which is why I don't like touching people. But.... doesn't that happen to everyone?"

Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise, much like the other two listening in on their conversation.

"What do you mean Naruto?"

"Well, I've never really touched anyone for very long before, so I just thought this must be what happens to everyone else as well." Kurenai felt sickened inside. The boy had been so isolated up until now that he didn't even know about the interactions between other people.

"No Naruto. This kind of thing doesn't happen to other people. You're the only one I know who has this effect on others and I think it has something to do with your... abilities."

"You mean my bloodline?" Kurenai nodded her head slowly.

"I see Iruka has explained everything to you already then. That's good to know."

"But Kurenai-sama, I still don't know why you're teaching me these things." Kurenai tried to explain as best as she could so that Naruto would understand.

"Alright, when you touch someone you seem to form a chakra link with them. This is how your emotions flow into them. I'm trying to teach you how to control your chakra so that you can hopefully suppress this flow at will. That way, you can protect yourself from everyone else around you that would try to use your emotions to their advantage. Do you understand?" Naruto looked a bit confused, but he nodded anyway.

"Good. Now I'm going to teach you how to draw your chakra into your feet. The feet are the hardest parts in the body to focus your chakra, so if you can do that, anything else should be much easier. We'll do this by having you use the chakra molded at your feet to tree climb and water walk." Naruto's eyes once again fell into a widened sense of excitement.

"You mean... I'll be able to walk on water?!"

"Yes, but that's a little but more difficult that tree climbing. First, I want you to try and focus your chakra to your feet and the use it to grip on the surface of this tree. Lets see how high you can walk up the side without falling." Naruto looked over to the said tree and then back up to Kurenai.

"Um... how... how do you mold chakra properly?"

There was almost an audible gasp between the present shinobi.

"Well... I kinda now how to do it, but I never really got it right." Kurenai slapped her forehead in disbelief. A kid that had hospitalized two people and almost took out a jounin with a single glance didn't even know how to mold chakra properly. This was going to be a long day.

--

Iruka and kakashi watched on with keen interest as Naruto went through his training exercises with Kurenai. The copy ninja eventually resigned to reading his usual book while Iruka watched on with a nervous lump in his throat. They had been there for a few hours already and the sun was slowly making it's way to the centre of the sky. Naruto had managed to begin molding chakra after a few basic lessons from Kurenai. Although he was no-where near sufficient at it yet, she decided that the tree climbing exercise would help him get that out of the way far quicker than academy basics. The truth is, he wasn't actually doing to bad, much to the ruby-eyed jounin's surprise. He even managed to run half way up the tree's length at one point, before falling to the ground. Luckily, she was ready for such mishaps and promptly caught him before he hurt himself. After a few more attempts, Naruto finally collapsed to the soft grass in exhaution, panting heavily from the strain on his burning lungs.

Kurenai walked up to where the boy knelt and sat down beside him.

"Well done Naruto, you've done better than I expected on your first day." The said boy looked up to her with grateful eyes and a massive grin. He never received praise from anyone, so it was music to his ears.

"Thanks Kurenai-sensei." Kurenai's eyes widened.

"Kurenai-sensei?"

"Well yea.... you are teaching me after all aren't you?" The woman chuckled at that.

"I guess you're right."

Kurenai felt like she was about to explode. Not only was Naruto trusting her now, but he even considered her his sensei as well. "All right then, take a fifteen minute breather and then we'll get back to work. After we've done the tree climbing a little bit longer, we'll move on to the water walking exercise. Naruto grinned again and then nodded in approval.

"He's doing quite well."

Iruka turned to look at the masked jounin beside him as he spoke. Kakashi had momentarily closed his book and was now watching Naruto with an intense focus.

"Yea, I guess he is. It's amazing what a little attention and care can do for a child like Naruto. He just needs love and support, something his caretakers never succeeded in giving him." Kakashi smiled under his mask, a fact that was made evidant to Iruka by the shape of his eyes.

"I guess once Kurenai's done, I'll begin my exercises with the boy. I wonder how Naruto will take to me training him." Iruka's face fell into a frown.

"Kakashi-sama, please don't take it personally if Naruto doesn't trust you immediately. He's had a hard life so far and I personally can't blame him for being so cautious around others, especially after Mizuki's betrayal." Kakashi nodded his head in understanding.

"Don't worry, I understand completely. I'll do my best to help him where I can and maybe after some time, he'll come to trust me as well. Besides, he has two very protective shinobi watching over him in case something goes wrong.

Iruka leaned back into the tree that the two were sitting under. His doubts about allowing Kakashi to train Naruto were quickly falling away. He didn't know why, but it seemed the masked jounin held a great deal of care for the blond boy. Perhaps there was something more going on than Iruka knew about.

--

Another hour had passed since Naruto had his short breather and continued training. The four of them had since eaten lunch, Naurto quickly gulping down the food Iruka had packed for him with a massive smile on his face. The midday sun gently caressed the faces of the four that were held in it's promising light. Naruto had made more progress than anyone could have ever imagined despite his setbacks. The boy who couldn't even mold chakra before had already managed to make it half way up the tree on more than one attempt using nothing but his feet to grip it's surface. Although he was by no means elegant in his form, he did it with a childish enthusiasm that was as fun to watch as it was for him to do.

Once they had finished their meals, Kurenai led the boy over to the nearby river with Kakashi and Iruka following closely behind them. The copy ninja kept a bit more of a distance, knowing Naruto would be uncomfortable if he stepped to near.

"Alright, I think we've had enough tree climbing for today, so lets try a little water walking." Naruto's eyes answered Kurenai with a look of excitement. After all, it's not every day a ten-year-old kid got the chance to walk on water. Before they began, Kurenai explained the details of water walking.

"Now look Naruto, water walking is a bit different from tree climbing. The one you've been doing so far requires you to focus your chakra flow to your feet in order to realign your centre of gravity to the surface you're gripping on. It doesn't require near as much control as water walking though." Naruto tried to follow as closely as possible, although it did still confuse him slightly.

"When you're walking on water, you have to release a precise amount of chakra based on your mass in order to keep yourself from sinking. The amount released is directly proportional to the weight and pressure applied. If you release too little chakra, you'll obviously sink, release to much and the water bellow your feet will be disrupted and you'll lose your balance. Get it?"

Naruto nodded in understanding and then made his way over to the water. Suddenly, standing in front of the moving stream filled the boy with a sense of dread. He took a deep gulp and the walked over towards the water's surface. Iruka immediately recognized the boy's body language as a sign of trouble and began to grow nervous.

"Oh Kami, don't tell me he..." Before Iruka could act, Naruto stepped out onto the river and promptly sank beneath it's surface with a splash.

Kurenai let out a small chuckle, he was a little bit hasty in his approach, but most kids his age were. She was going to warn him to take off his clothes first, but she never had the chance. Her humour soon disappeared though when the boy didn't resurface, prompting Iruka to quickly jump into the river after him.

"Naruto!!!"

The other two jounin quickly rushed up to the water's edge and looked on anxiety, waiting for something to happen. An eternity seemed to pass before Iruka finally emerged with a shaken Naruto on his back, swimming to the embankment as the boy coughed some water out of his mouth. Kakashi and Kurenai quickly rushed up to their side as the scarred chunin placed Naruto on the ground and rubbed his soaking back and patting it every now and again to remove the last vestiges of water in his lungs.

"T... that was close, too close for comfort." Naruto was a bit shaken about the experience, but he eventually managed to recover to his feet.

The other three remained silent for a while until Iruka finally spoke.

"Perhaps we should hold off on the water walking for now. It seems Naruto here doesn't know how to swim either. It's too dangerous to continue." Kurenai's face fell into a heavy frown. The more time she spent with Naruto, the more shortcomings she noticed in the boy's life. He had endured so much neglect and only now were the consequences starting to show. Now, when Naruto was trying so hard to turn his life around for the better. Kakashi himself couldn't help but cringe at the thought of it. Kurenai had explained the sittuation to him, but he never imagined it was this severe. Kurenai was about to respond to Iruka when Naruto inturupted.

"No... I don't want to stop." The three adults looked over to the sopping boy with surprised eyes.

"I have to do this. I have to learn and become a better shinobi, otherwise I'm never going to be able to get people to acknowledge me." Iruka closed his eyes in thought. There were very few thing Naruto wanted in life. One of them was a family and home, the other was to become a shinobi and prove his worth to the world around him. If anything, the boy definitely deserved any help they could give him.

"Alright." The chunin finally replied with a grin on his face. We'll stay and watch you the whole time in case anything happens, but I think you should take your clothes off before you ruin them." The boy shot into a grin again.

"Yes Iruka-sensei!"

Naruto removed his soaked T-shirt and sandals and stripped down to his shorts. He then walked up to the waters edge once more, this time with Iruka standing nearby at his side, and tried again.

--

After a few more minutes, and a few more rescues on Iruka's part, Naruto was finally starting to get the hang of feeling the waters surface. Kurenai helped him the entire time, giving him tips on how to feel his chakra on the tips of his feet moving between him and the water's surface. The boy could manage one or two steps forward before falling again and the woman was starting to pick up a pattern in his mistakes. After Iruka pulled the boy onto shore once more, she walked over to the two and prompted for a short break. After about five minutes, she led him over to the river herself and stepped out on the water in front of him.

"Naruto, I want you to hold onto my hands and follow what I do alright." Naruto nodded his head and then took Kurenai's hands. He slowly stepped back onto the river and then stood in place.

"Now, as I'm sure you've noticed, standing still is actually quite easy isn't it?"

"Yea it is, but why is it so hard when I try to walk?" Kurenai smiled down at the boy. At least he could see that something was wrong.

"When you begin walking, all of your mass shifts to one leg at a time, which is why you seem to be struggling. What you need to do is compensate for the added weight and pressure by increasing the amount of chakra flow to the foot that is still touching the water and then evening it out when the other lands again. Then you just swap it to the other foot and visa versa."

"Oh... now I see! So that's why I keep falling over when I take a step."

"Yes that's right. Now, the timing is a little bit tricky to get used to, but that's why I'm here to help you. I want you to follow my movements whenever I take a step backwards. When my left foot moves, your right foot will follow and when my right foot moves... well you get the point. We'll do this slowly at first so you can get used to the timing and then we'll speed up as we go."

The other two watched on with bated breaths as Kurenai's new exercise began. At first, Naruto stumbled a bit, but Kurenai's hold on his hands quickly helped her correct him before he fell in the water. Naruto didn't seem very confident either, because his eyes never once left his feet. He carefully watched as he took each step, trying to compensate for the weight when one of his feet left the water. Kurenai could fell the mixture of emotions running of his touch. There was a bit of nervousness and fear, but there was also unyielding determination as well. The boy wouldn't give up until he got it right, no matter how long it took. Eventually after walking for a few more minutes, Naruto's confidence in himself began to grow.

"Kurenai-sensei, how am I doing?" he murmured, looking up so his eyes met hers. She quickly responded with a bright smile and a glimmer in her eyes.

"Why don't you look around and see for yourself?"

Naruto was a bit confused by her question but when he took a look around, he couldn't help but gasp surprise. They were all the way into the middle of the river, far from the land on either side. The surprised boy looked back to the shore they had walked from to see Iruka waving over in there direction.

"Hey kiddo! Looks like you're getting the hang of it!" Naruto grinned and waved back at his sensei before turning to face Kurenai once more. The smile that flashed from his face was as bright as the midday sun.

"I'm doing it Kurenai-sensei! I'm really walking on water!" Kurenai could feel the raw emotions that came from Naruto. She felt so much happiness coming from him and a great deal of pride as well. Pride... had Naruto ever been proud of himself before? It didn't matter right now though because the boy was practically bursting at the seems with it. When she locked into the boy's gaze, the same golden eyes she had seen before began to shine back at her. This time, she allowed herself to be captured by their endless beauty, that supernatural gaze that was staring back at her. It really was something else.

"Come kid, lets see how much further we can go." Naruto responded with a massive grin and the two carried on with their training.

Iruka watched on with a giant smile of his own. His heart skipped a beat every time he heard Naruto giggle playfully as the two walked in each other's hands over the running stream. It was like a game to the boy, like a child basking in the wonder of the world around him.

"You should be proud of him. After everything he's been through, he still somehow finds the strength to face his fears and persevere." Iruka looked over to Kakashi, who had long since abandoned his book in interest of the scene they were witnessing.

"I... I am proud of him and I'm sure his parents would be too." Kakashi nodded, he could tell Iruka meant every word of what he said. The chunin had never been so proud of someone in his entire life. The way Naruto faced his fears of drowning and stepped back onto the river with a determined heart was enough to bring the chunin all the happiness in the world.

--

After a couple of more minutes had passed, Kurenai and Naruto eventually made there way slowly back to the embankment, although it was in fact quite a bit faster than it took them to get out in the first place. After they finally touched solid ground again, Naruto let go of Kurenai's hands ran up to his sensei and threw his arms around the scarred man who was already kneeling to greet him.

"Did you see that Iruka-sensei. I was really doing it! I was really walking on water!" Iruka could feel the excitement and happiness flowing from the boy's touch.

"You did great Naruto, you did wonderfully. I'm so proud of you." Naruto felt his heart skip a beat again. To hear those words coming from the one person that meant the world to him was a wonderful thing to hear. "Now, I think you better put your clothes back on. It's getting quite late and we wouldn't want you catching a cold now would we." Naruto quickly rushed off to collect his now dry shirt and sandals. He quickly slipped them on and then made his way back to his sensei.

Iruka ruffed up the blond's hair in approval and then walked to the side with his other two companions to discuss the day's results.

"So, it seems as though he's getting the hang of it" Kakashi murmured, waiting for Kurenai's own analysis.

"Yes he is, but we've still got a long way to go before he's able to water walk without assistance. The tree climbing still needs work as well, but least he's making good progress." Kurenai then turned to Iruka, who was still glowing in the pride of Naruto's achievements. "So tonight you're going to go through reading lessons with Naruto am I correct?" Iruka nodded.

"Yes, but first I'm going to take him out to Ichiraku's for some ramen to celebrate his success today. What about you Kakashi, when are we going to start Naruto's doujutsu training?" Kurenai sighed in despondence.

"I was hoping we could start that today, but it took a lot longer to get into the chakra control training then I thought. Even if we all help him, I'm not sure if he'll be able to learn quickly enough to catch up to the rest of his class, especially considering how much missing ground he has to cover. After all, only one of us can teach him at a time." Kakashi placed his hand on his chin in thought.

"I... may have a solution to that problem, although it's not exactly an ethical one." The other two looked at him with curiosity engraved on their faces. "But first I'll have to work with him and see if it's even possible. We'll start Naruto's doujutsu training tomorrow morning. I'll explain what I have planned then."

The other two approved Kakashi's plan and then bid farewell to the disappearing jounin. Kurenai and Iruka then walked back over to Naruto who smiled at their approach.

"Hey you two! So are we gonna do some jutsu training soon. I bet I could create a fireball the size of your house Iruka-sensei!" Iruka giggled at the boy's excited words and then placed his hand on the Naruto's shoulder.

"You mean our house don't you?' The boy grinned in return.

"Yea!"

After bidding a final farewell to Kurenai, the two of them made their way over to Naruto's favorite ramen stand. By now, the boy had become Ichiraku's number one customer and he was always welcome in their doors. Iruka would begin their reading lesson that night in order for Naruto to catch up on one of the many skills he was neglected as a child. They could do some swimming lessons later. Iruka inwardly giggled at his own thoughts of Naruto learning to walk on water before he could even swim. It was like learning to run before you could even crawl. He also couldn't get the thoughts of his eventual revenge out of his mind. Oh how Anko would enjoy her visit to the orphanage, he would need to arrange their meeting very soon.

"I wonder if Kurenai's also having these thoughts as well?" The man thought to himself, chuckling as he walked. It wouldn't surprise him if she was.

--

Naruto's training has begun and Kakashi hatches a new plan for the boy's progress.  
Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter! :)


	10. Chapter 10 Seeing Eye to Eye

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Naruto's doujutsu training begins. But there is a lot more to the boy's abilities than meets the eye. Will Kakashi be able to work with the boy, or is trust growing thin in Naruto's heart?

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 10 - Seeing Eye to Eye**

The warm rays of the early morning sunlight pierced into the window of a sleeping chunin, causing the scarred man to shuffle under its bright gaze. Iruka slowly stretched in his bed and sat up with a deep yawn, stretching out the last vestiges of fatigue in his tired muscles. The man was already used to getting up at the rising of the sun, as most shinobi were, unlike a certain young boy he knew. But lately, Naruto had been waking up earlier than him, mostly because of the nightmares that had been haunting him for the past two nights. Iruka wondered if today would be the same.

They had both been up later than usual as he tried to teach Naruto to read and write properly for the first time and it was a lot more difficult than the chunin originally suspected. Unlike the other training exercises, Were Naruto could learn from example, this wasn't something that could be pushed forward with enthusiasm alone. There were no short cuts to success when it came to such delicate skills as reading and learning a written language. It was also hard to keep a young boy interested in something that seemed so boring compared to water walking or jutsu training.

The young man sighed at the thought of it and then looked over to the counter beside him, eyeing out the picture of him and his parents that sat on it's surface. It was one of the last reminders of the life he once had, a life that was suddenly snatched from him in a single night. Iruka grabbed the portrait and held it close to his gaze. They were so happy before, always laughing and smiling in each other's company. Both his mother and father had smiles on their faces, so did he. Tears began to form in the chunin's eyes as the memories of his past life flowed into his mind.

It was often hard being around Naruto, the boy was a constant reminder of the reason for his parents death. He never blamed Naruto for the Kyuubi's attack and knew the boy was innocent of the crimes of the beast he contained inside of him, but it was still difficult at times. However, Iruka would never abandon the boy because of that. The mere thought of doing such a thing was appalling for the chunin to even think of. He knew what it was like to be alone and unwanted, he knew that the hellish nightmare Naruto had to live through was far worse than his own. Iruka knew the boy needed him more than anything if he ever wanted to know happiness and he would be damned if he let Naruto down.

"Guess it's time to check on the little twerp" he sighed, placing the photo back on its mantle.

They had to be at the training grounds early if they wanted to make decent progress today. Besides, Naruto would first need some time to get used to being around Kakashi, he only hoped the boy would be able to work with another stranger. Iruka slowly got up from the bed and neatened it as best he could, before walking out of his room and down the hallway to where Naruto slept. He slowly inched the boy's door open and peered inside, only to find Naruto still sleeping under the protection of his blankets.

"Well, that's a good sign. I guess he didn't have any nightmares last night." Iruka walked over to the innocent bundle lying on the bed and sat next to it's side. He quickly pulled the blanket off over Naruto's hidden face, gaining another disapproving grunt from the boy.

"Morning sunshine! Time to get up!" Naruto just cringed in the light and pulled his pillow over his head, hiding it once again from the piercing rays of the sun. Iruka gave out a sigh and chuckled at the boy's strange antics as well as his cute facial expression.

"Oh, come on Naruto, don't you want to train and get stronger?" The boy's response was a barely recognizable muffle as he spoke through the pillow.

"Iruka-sensei, it's Sunday. Can't I just sleep in a little for once?" Iruka playfully pulled the pillow off Naruto's head, only to reveal a scowling face as the boy pouted in disapproval.

"You know, that look really suits you. You're so cute when you're angry." Naruto's scowl only deepened further, his arms now folded in complete rebellion. "Alright, alright. If you get ready quickly I _might _treat us to ramen for lunch." Naruto's pout immediately disappeared and before anyone could say Ichiraku's, the boy was already out the door heading for the bathroom. Iruka had to contain his laugh. It didn't take much to get Naruto going, only the mention of his favorite food was needed.

--

After their usual morning ritual of dressing and eating breakfast, Naruto and Iruka soon found themselves walking into the same training field that they had been in the previous day. Standing alone in the middle of the field, much to Naruto's quiet relief, was a lone Kurenai. Her face immediately brightened up when she caught sight of the two approaching figures and ran up to greet them.

"Morning guys!"

"Morning Kurenai!"

"Morning Kurenai-sensei!" Iruka looked down in confusion as Naruto called out his greeting.

"Did he just call her Kurenai-sensei?" The man quickly shrugged it off when he realized someone was missing. "So, where's Kakashi?" Kurenai pouted in annoyance.

"I've been waiting for him for a while now. I wanted to go through a few things with him before you two got here, but it seems old habits die hard after all." Iruka gave out an annoyed sigh while Naruto inwardly yelped with a sudden sense of relief. Although he understood the importance of his training, he was still unnerved by the masked jounin.

"So, does that mean we can carry on with the water walking excises Kurenai-sensei?" The young woman looked down at a smiling Naruto and replied with a grin of her own, but it felt rather empty. She was glad to see him excited about training with her, but she knew he would have to learn to work with Kakashi if he wanted to progress with his abilities.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but today we're going to work on your doujutsu a bit. We have to wait until Kakashi arrives." Kurenai's heart sank as she watched the boy fall into a frown, but it wasn't just a disappointed frown. She could see the genuine fear on his face, the same fear she saw in him when he first met her. "Damn it Kakashi, where are you?!" Kurenai thought to herself.

If that masked freak took much longer, she was sure she would kill him. It would probably make Naruto feel better as well.

"No, no it wouldn't!" Kurenai mentally slapped herself from her silly thoughts.

The last thing the timid blond needed to see was her lose her cool in front of him. It had taken a lot to gain the boy's trust and she didn't want to throw it away by intimidating him. Suddenly, as if to rescue the woman from her quickly deteriorating thoughts, Kakashi puffed into view with a burst of white smoke, almost giving the three a heart attack as he appeared before them. Naruto almost verbally yelped before jumping behind the protection of his sensei.

"Good morning everyone!" Kakashi was only answered with a light wave from Iruka and a cold hard glare from Kurenai.

"Damn it Kakashi Hatake! What took you so long!?" Kakashi winced in fear when she said his name. You knew you were in trouble with a woman when they called out your full name like that. Kurenai was about to smash her fist into the jounin's face, but quickly brought her frustrations under control.

"You see, I saw an old lady..."

"Oh not another one of your lame excuses again." Kurenai cut him off. "Lets just get on with this. The sooner we start, the better for us all." Kakashi sighed in disappointment, he had thought of such a good excuse as well. The masked jounin then recomposed himself and searched around for the boy he was going to train.

"Where is that kid?" he mumbled to himself, wondering if Naruto had even come. He then caught sight of the two small quivering legs that hid behind Iruka. "Oh boy, this is going to be a long day isn't it? Perhaps I should make my entrances a little more subtle in future."

Iruka felt Naruto holding tightly onto his vest from behind, trying to hide away from Kakashi's prying eye. He gave out a deep sigh and then stepped aside for the boy to face his new teacher. Naruto tried to follow Iruka like a stubborn shadow, but a firm hand halted him in his tracks. The chunin then knelt down beside the boy and whispered into his ear.

"Naruto, remember what we talked about. This man is here to help you so that you don't accidently activate your powers. I need you to try and see if you can work with him, but you don't have to touch him if you don't want to, alright?" Naruto took a deep breath and then slowly nodded. "Good, now say hello to Kakashi." Naruto looked up at the masked jounin. He was intimidated by his tall figure and his outlandish appearance, but he somehow found the courage to speak up.

"G... good morning K... Kakashi-sama." Naruto's voice was a trembling whisper as he greeted the wide-eyed jounin. Kakashi tried to smile under his mask, but his stomach was sick with the realization of how scared Naruto really was.

"Good morning Naruto-kun. As I'm sure you know by now, my name is Kakashi Hatake and I'll be training you to use your doujutsu." Kakashi tried to sound as cheerful as possible in order to ease the tension, but Naruto's expression didn't change.

The boy held desperately onto his sensei's hand, unwilling to let go in the presence of this other jounin. Iruka was now growing upset. He was tired of feeling the same fear coming from the boy's touch all the time. He just wanted to take it all away, to remove the doubt in Naruto's heart and free him from his fear driven isolation. Iruka silently cursed the ones that did this to him, the ones that placed so much distrust in the heart of such a young child.

Kakashi began to notice the growing animosity and quickly moved ahead with his plan.

"Alright, if you two don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Naruto alone." The said boy almost visibly jumped at that, before turning to his sensei with pleading eyes that begged him not to comply. Unfortunately, Iruka had no choice but to approve. Naruto had to be able to work with Kakashi one-on-one and they couldn't interfere.

"Alright Kakashi, well be right here if you need us." Kakashi motioned with his head towards the embankment, prompting Naruto to head to the waters edge. After a reassuring squeeze of the boy's hand from Iruka and a warm smile from Kurenai, Naruto eventually complied and headed off. The masked jounin then turned to the other two and spoke once more.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I just need to talk with him and open him up a bit." With that the jounin turned and walked after him, heading to where Naruto now sat at the waters edge.

The young boy slowly ran his hands through the soft long grass, trying to ease away the built up tension that he felt inside. It was very strange, but for some unknown reason it seemed to help him relieve the emotions he had been holding. Perhaps the grass itself absorbed some of his feelings as well. The boy's wandering thoughts were quickly shattered as Kakashi quietly sat down next to him, staring out onto the shimmering river. He made sure he was far enough from the boy so as to not startle him but not to far. The jounin sat just out of arms reach.

"It's beautiful isn't it? The morning sun reflecting on the river." Naruto remained quiet. It was indeed beautiful to see the rays of light dancing of the wavering ripples, reflecting back into his endless blue eyes, but he was too nervous to really enjoy it. Kakashi noticed the boy's unchanging expression and realized he would have to try harder to gain his interest, let alone his trust.

"Naruto, I know you don't trust me at all and I can understand why, but I don't expect you to grow close to me like Kurenai and Iruka. I just want to help you as best as I can, I ask for nothing more than your cooperation." Naruto turned to face the speaking jounin with heavy eyes.

"But... how do I know you wont try to hurt me?" Kakashi's answer was swift.

"The fact is you don't know. I could be just like Mizuki and turn on you as well, so you're right to be cautious around me. But what we both do know, however, is that there are two people who would do anything to protect you standing right over there behind us. If I tied anything to hurt you, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't just stand by and watch. I wouldn't really stand a chance against both of them." Naruto felt a bit more relieved when he heard those words. He knew Iruka and Kurenai would protect him if something went wrong, he could feel it.

"Alright... I'll try, but..."

"I know, I know... I wont try to touch you at all. Besides, for our training, physical contact wont be necessary."

Kakashi turned to Naruto and smiled under his mask. He was making progress, even though it was very slow. Naruto's eyes began to fill with a bit more promise, but they were still little more than empty shells. Kakashi then stood to his feet and motioned for Naruto to follow, which the boy reluctantly did. The two made there way to the centre of the field under the careful watch of Naruto's other two senseis. After coming to a standstill on the grass, the jounin turned to face his new pupil.

"Alright, I'm going to show you something now, so pay careful attention." Naruto nodded and watched as Kakashi removed the forehead protector that covered his left eye. The boy's eyes widened in surprise as the Sharingan was revealed underneath its protective shield.

"Wow.... that looks so awesome!" Naruto's face suddenly shifted from a look of fear and nervousness to an expression of awe and excitement, but his voice still trembled with the slight hint of nervousnes. "Is... is that the Sharingan?" Kakashi nodded his head.

"It does look pretty awesome, but I heard your eyes look very cool as well when you activate your doujutsu." Naruto's face tightened in thought.

"But... how are you gonna teach me to use my abilities if you don't even know how it works?"

"Well, I may not know how your abilities work, but I do know how doujutsu's work in general. All you have to do is look for the same things you saw when you first activated it." Naruto scratched his head in confusion.

"Um... what do you mean by that? When Kurenai-sensei was helping me, she made me try to feel the same emotions that I felt when I activated it." Kakashi looked down at the boy and explained.

"It is true that bloodlines are often activated in times of emotional distress so Kurenai's idea wasn't bad, but normally once a person has activated it for the first time they should be able to do it willingly from then onwards. All they have to do is search for the same results they felt the first time they did it." Naruto scratched his head in confusion.

"But I still don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for." Kakashi sighed in despondence. He would have to simplify it even more for the boy to understand.

"Alright, in the case of a doujutsu, when someone is using them it normally gives them an enhanced vision of some sort. Like how the Byuakugan allows the Hyuuga to see a person's chakra flow. All you have to do is try to remember what you saw when you activated your bloodline and look for the same thing again." Naruto then nodded his head in understanding, it was finally beginning to make sense.

"Good, now what did you see when you looked through your dojutsu?" Kakashi watched on as the boy thought long and hard about the question. His facial expression cringed in confusion as he tried to remember what happened.

"It's... it's all really strange. I can't really remember all that well, but I do know that when I looked at everything... I don't know it just seemed like everything was clear to me."

"Clear... how?" Kakashi murmured, now becoming lost in Naruto's description.

"Like... like I could understand everything. When I looked at my warden, it was like I could see inside him, all of the emotions he was feeling. I could see who he really was deep inside and some of it was really scary." Naruto's voice then dropped to a near whisper. "Some... some of it was really sad as well..."

Kakashi was very disturbed by what Naruto was describing. To see a persons emotions was one thing, but to see a persons very being was another completely. The masked jounin had an idea of what Naruto was really witnessing but he had to make sure before he jumped to conclusions.

"Alright then, now I want you to take all of what you just described and try to find it again. Look around and try to look for the same things you saw before." Naruto complied and did as Kakashi requested. He slowly scanned the surrounding area, trying to rediscover the same images he had seen in his memories. Kakashi watched on with a keen interest, waiting to see if his plan would work.

--

About an hour had passed since Naruto began his training exercise and the boy was now beginning to grow rather frustrated. He still wasn't able to activate his doujutsu yet, much to Kakashi's growing dismay. Kurenai and Iruka watched the two from under a nearby tree, waiting in silent anticipation as Naruto reattempted his exercise once more. After a few more minutes of trying, the boy collapsed to his knees in defeat.

"I... I'm never gonna get it."

Tears began to form in Naruto's eyes as he knelt there on the floor. All the feelings of worthlessness and grief began to flow back into his heart. The sounds of the cruel and degrading taunts of his wardens rung in his ear as the memories of his failures flashed through his mind.

"They're right about me, I... I'm just useless a useless pile of trash after all, I can never do anything right." Iruka was about to move over to the boy, but Kurenai's hand quickly halted his advance.

"Don't. Naruto has to deal with this himself. Only Kakashi can help him with this training now." The scarred chunin reluctantly sat down again, watching with a heavy heart as Naruto continued to sob on the grass. Kakashi slowly made his way over to the boy and knelt down in front of him.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Naruto didn't respond, his eyes just remained staring at the ground a his tears fell from his cheeks. "Naruto... look at me please." The boy looked up from the ground with a saddened expression, causing Kakashi's eyes to widen in surprise. The boy instantly noticed his shock.

"What... what's wrong?" the boy murmured in between his sobs. There, staring back at the masked jounin, were the same golden eyes that Kurenai had described before.

"Naruto... what do you see right now?" Naruto was confused by the question but then realized that things did in fact look different to his eyes.

"I... wait does this mean?..." Kakashi quickly nodded his head.

"Try not to lose it now, just keep focusing on whatever it is you see." Naruto did as the jounin said and started to look everywhere around him. His eyes widened in surprise as he took in his surroundings, gasping for what little air his lungs could hold.

"Well, what is it? What can you see?"

"It's all so... different. It's like everything is more alive, like I can see their energy flowing inside of them. Even the grass and trees are glowing inside."

Naruto turned his head to look around him, his mouth gaping open in complete amazement. It was like the whole world suddenly looked more vibrant and colourful, like a painted canvas of the imaginings of someone's dreams. The boy looked around for a bit longer before slowly turneing his eyes over to Kakashi again and looked carefully at the man. Kakashi's gaze locked into Naruto's golden eyes, seemingly lost in their endless beauty. He could see his own reflection shining back at him. It was everything Kurenai had described and much more.

The jounin's face, however, fell into a frown as Naruto's eyes began to widen and the boy began to quiver violently.

"Kakashi-sama?.... Nghh!!!!!" Naruto suddenly winced in anguish as the boy's eyes locked with Kakashi's own.

"Naruto! What's wrong?" he yelped, as the boy collapsed to the floor with an resounding cry.

"Aaaahhhh!!!!!!" Naruto began holding his head his hands and screamed out in anguish. The masked man quickly ran up to Naruto's side as he cried out on the soft grass, his tears beginning to flow down his whiskered cheeks.

"Make it stop! Please make it stop!!! I don't want to see anymore!!!" Kurenai and Iruka quickly rushed up to where the boy lay and soon all three were hovering over his small squirming body.

"Naruto!?"

Iruka quickly turned the boy over onto his back and sat his head into his chest allowing him to lie in his lap. He gently swayed back and fourth with Naruto in his arms while the boy continued to murmur some incoherent words through his sobs. After a few moments of panic and a few reassuring words from Iruka, his breathing began to lessen and his cries subsided. Iruka could feel a massive amount of dread and panic flowing from the boy's touch, more so then he had ever felt before then.

"Naruto... what happened to you?" Naruto's tear filled eyes looked up to see his sensei staring back down at him.

"I... I saw someone dying Iruka-sensei. It... it was a boy like me, only he... he..."

"He had black hair?..." Kakashi finished the boy's words words. The others looked at the masked jounin as he cringed in obvious discomfort. "Alright, I think that's enough training for now. Kurenai, Iruka, I need to talk to you two right away." Kakashi promptly picked himself up off the floor and walked away from the still sobbing Naruto. Kurenai followed soon afterwards. Iruka gently removed the crying boy from his arms and lay him down on the floor.

"I'll be back right in a minute alright? Just wait here for me." Naruto gave a teary nod and then watched as Iruka walked over to the other two. The three then moved out of ear's range once again.

"What... what was that? What happened?" Kurenai murmured, now growing increasingly panicked. Kakashi turned to face the other two adults, his face was filled with a great deal of pain and sadness.

"Naruto managed to activate his doujutsu. He saw something that he wasn't supposed to when he looked into my eyes... an old wound of mine that has never really healed. I... I think we should take a break for a while, Naruto will need it after what he's been through. Whatever vision Naruto gained from this doujutsu, it was obviously still too dangerous for the boy to handle. We're going to have to teach him to control it as soon as possible to avoid any further incidents like this."

The three of them looked back at the said boy as he quietly sat on the grass. The tears were still flowing from his eyes, soaking the white shirt that clung to his chest as his knees hugged up against his body. Iruka's heart began to tear apart inside his chest. Every time they tried to help Naruto, they only ever succeeded in opening up more scars to torment the boy. Whatever this doujutsu was, it was a complete enigma. They had to train even more with it if they ever wanted to figure out it's mystery's. The scarred chunin decided it was best to hit the ramen store now. Once the boy had calmed down, they would be able to talk to him about what happened and maybe discover what it was that he really saw.

"I think we should go get lunch now. We can carry on training afterwards." Both Kurenai and Kakashi agreed with Iruka's plan.

The chunin then ran off from the two of them and over to a nearby Naruto. The others watched as he knelt down beside the boy and held him in his arms. It was sad to watch Naruto still crying on the man's shoulder, relieving the pain and grief he felt inside. For a boy like him to witness a persons death, even if it was only a memory, was too much for such a young mind to handle. Kakashi felt a knot form in his stomach as he looked at the blond boy.

"Obito... was it you he saw in my eyes? Will my past nightmares ever remain buried?"

Both jounin made their way over to where Iruka and Naruto sat. The man was still trying to subdue the boy's distraught tears, although the blond was starting to calm down somewhat. The chunin looked up to his two companions and then back down to the kid in his arms.

"So Naruto, wanna go get some ramen now? I did promise you some this morning." Naruto took a deep, shaky breath and then nodded quietly in Iruka's arms while trying to force a teary smile. "Alright then, lets get going kiddo." With that, the chunin helped Naruto off the grass and led him away from the training field. Kurenai and Kakashi were following closely behind, watching as the boy leaned his head on Iruka's side. The man put his arm around Naruto's shoulder and pulled him closer. They still had a long day ahead of them. It wasn't nearly over yet.

--

Kakashi reveals his newly formed plan in the next chapter.  
Hope you enjoyed! :)


	11. Chapter 11 Searching for Hope

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Naruto faces his own fears and low self worth, finding a new determination to carry on growing. Will the others be able to help him pick up the pieces of his shattered soul?

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 11 - Searching for Hope**

The shuffling of busy feet and hard working hands sounded briskly throughout the stalls and shops that littered Konoha's streets as four quite souls walked down it's dusty paths, silhouetted in the increasingly heated midday sun. Kurenai and Kakashi watched carefully from behind as Iruka held Naruto closely under his arm. The chunin slowly stroked the boy's back, still trying to ease the pain and fear he felt inside the blond's agonized heart.

"Is it... always like this between them?" Kurenai looked over to the masked jounin as he quietly murmured his questioning thoughts. She could see the pain still evident his expression and she knew it definitely had something to do with what happened a few minutes earlier.

"Yea, I guess it is. Naruto has lived a difficult life so far and has only recently found someone to love him and protect him. He hardly ever travels far from Iruka's side and is almost always in his arms if the opportunity allows it. I guess being alone and isolated for so long, with no-one to love and comfort him, has made the boy terrified of losing contact with the only one who ever tried to help him out of that nightmare."

Kakashi didn't even try to hide his anguished sigh. Hearing Kurenai say those things made him feel a sickening knot form in his stomach. The way Naruto clung so desperately to Iruka's side was almost heart breaking to watch, but the jounin was beginning to understand why he acted that way. No doubt Naruto was feeding off his sensei's comforting emotions, trying to recover from the ordeal the boy had just been through, an ordeal Kakashi himself had never really gotten over in all these years.

Just then, as if to rescue the jounin from his deteriorating thoughts, the ramen stand they were headed towards suddenly came into view. The old man Teuchi burst into a massive grin as he saw the approach of his favorite customer, but his smile soon soured when he saw the distressed look on the boy's tear-drenched face.

"Ah, it's good to see my favorite boy back here again!" The old man muttered as they walked into his stall, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. Naruto managed a brief smile at that, much to Teuchi's relief, but his face still marked heavily with the evidence of dry tear stains.

"And... I see you've brought a new friend as well." Kakashi just waved as he and Kurenai followed into the store. Kurenai had already been there once with Naruto and Iruka so she needed no introduction. The old man forced a smile as the four sat down and then asked for their orders. By now, Naruto was able to make out the words on the menu and he quickly ordered his meal in a polite manner.

A few minutes later saw Naruto almost returning to his normal self as he happily gulped down one bowel of steaming ramen after another, much to the surprise of the masked jounin that sat nearby. Although Kurenai and Iruka were now used to the boys veracious appetite, the copy ninja was becoming deeply concerned by this clear defiance of the laws of nature, gravity, displacement, energy and overall general physics.

"Just where the hell does all that food go to?" Kakashi mused, looking over the short scrawny figure that was Naruto.

He had seen the boy's small body the previous day during the water walking exercise and it looked as though Naruto hadn't been fed a decent meal in years, or ever for that matter, but here he was loading more ramen into his small frame than an Akamichi could possibly hope to match. Almost equally surprising, and much to the disbelief of Iruka and Kurenai, was that Kakashi himself had already finished his own bowel of ramen before they knew what hit them and neither of them had even seen him remove his mask to eat. How the hell did he do that!? No jounin was that fast... were they?

Teuchi just watched with a growing smile as he saw the blond's face slowly begin to light up with glee, finishing of his seventh bowel of steaming goodness, only this time it was a more genuine smile. It seemed the boy's favourite food was all he needed to help cheer up, although Iruka's presence most certainly helped too. Once the boy was finally finished his food, he looked up to the old man with a massive grin.

"Thanks Teuchi-sama! That was great!" Kakashi felt a sudden lump form in his throat. After seeing Naruto so upset before, it was relieving to see the young blond smiling so wildly again. Iruka was about to hand over the bill when the masked jounin interceded.

"I've got this one Iruka." He eye-smiled, handing over the money in Iruka's stead.

The young man smiled in return while Naruto looked up at the tall man with forlorn eyes. As he scanned over the image of the silver haired jounin, he couldn't help but cringe in discomfort. He didn't know what he saw when looking into the Kakashi's eyes, but he somehow knew it must have been deeply painful experience from his past. Naruto wanted to ask what happened, but eventually decided against it. Some things were better left buried and some things were just too painful to remember, Naruto knew that better than anyone else.

After giving their thanks for the meal, as well as a generous tip, the four of them finally said their farewells to a grateful Teuchi and slowly headed out the ramen stand. As they stood on the side of the dusty streets Kurenai eventually spoke up to break the looming silence.

"So Kakashi, you mentioned yesterday that you may have a solution to increasing Naruto's training speed. Mind telling us what it was?" Kakashi motioned his head towards Naruto, causing the others to look over in the blond's direction.

The boy gave out a deflated sigh, he knew that meant it was time for the adults to talk privately. He slowly walked away from his three teachers, kicking the dust beneath his feet as he went. Naruto made sure not to wander too far though, knowing all too well about the ever present dangers of being amongst the villagers that hated him.

"So then, what is it?" Iruka murmured, turning back to face Kakashi.

"I've decided to teach Naruto the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It should help him immensely when it comes to learning faster and with some luck, he may even be able to catch up to the rest of his class." Both Kurenai's and Iruka's mouths seemingly dropped to the floor.

"You're gonna what!?" they both shouted in unison, causing a curious Naruto to look over at the three. Both of them knew what the jutsu did and it's _'unique'_ benefits, but they also knew the high risks involved with such a high level technique.

"You do realize that that's a _kinjutsu_ you're talking about here. It's to dangerous to just go teach to anyone you fell like. I mean how do you even know it in the first place?" Kakashi gave out a deflated sigh, he knew Iruka would drill him for this.

"My sensei was the one who created the technique in the first place and he managed to teach it to me before the risks were discovered and it was declared a forbidden jutsu. The main repocussions involved are the high amounts of chakra it takes to use it, but Naruto seems to have an abundance of that at his disposal. This means that the only real threat is the physical strain on Naruto's body."

"So you really think this is a good idea? I mean Naruto is still quite young, his body may not be able to handle it even if his chakra levels can." Kurenai mused.

"I agree" Kakashi replied. "But he should be able to create two extra clones of himself without any real problems. Besides, things have become a lot more complicated now." The other two stared at the masked jounin in confusion before he continued to explain.

"Whatever insight Naruto's doujutsu gives him, it seems to carry as much risk as his physical touch, if not even more. Judging by what happened this morning, we have to get it under control as soon as possible to avoid further incidents, this is the only way to do it." As much as Iruka hated to admit it, Kakashi did have a point. Although the Shadow Clone Jutsu did have risks, they were problems they at least knew about and could effectively work around. Naruto's bloodline, however, was still a mystery and mysteries could be far more dangerous.

"Alright, it's decided then. We'll go through with the Shadow Clone Jutsu training." Both Kurenai and Kakashi nodded in final agreement. They then turned to retrieve Naruto once again, only to find the boy wasn't there anymore.

"N.. Naruto? Naruto!!!!???"

--

A cruel snicker echoed throughout the walls of a dark tattered alleyway, piercing through the heart of a young boy as he slowly backed away from the large shadowy figure of the drunken man standing in front of him, his eyes filled with dread at the thought of receiving another beating. The young boy had heard a commotion coming from around a nearby corner from where he stood and had decided to investigate, much against his better judgement. Apparently the burly man had been thrown out of a nearby bar and was now taking his frustrations on the surrounding debris, that is until he caught sight of a better opportunity for relieving his built up anger in a certain young boy.

Naruto tried to run away, but the man had cornered him off before he could even get far, forcing him back into the dark alleyway.

"Please, don't hurt me... I didn't do anything" Naruto yelped, stepping back as the man walked towards him, his eyes dark with a sadistic glint.

"Oh how... 'hic'... sad, the little demon is crying for mommy to save him." The man then swung his massive hand without even thinking for a second, smacking Naruto on the side of the cheeks and sending him hurtling to the floor. "Hehe... 'hic'... now that felt good."

"Nggghhh!!!" The young boy yelped in pain as he held his throbbing cheeks, but he quickly got up to his feet soon afterwards. Naruto then backed up against the cold hard wall as his instincts always told him to do and closed his eyes in preparation for the ensuing abuse. Tears began to stream down his face as he felt the man's shadow falling over his small quivering form, his attacker's breath oozing with the bitter smell of alcohol. Naruto tried to call for help, he tried to scream the words that clung to the back of his throat, but his fears held his voice shut as his body quivered violently in terror.

"I guess today's my lucky day." The man snickered, slamming his fist into his hand in preparation for the beating. "I get to have fun with the little monster." Naruto took a deep, wavering gulp as he felt the man raise his fist to strike.

"Take this... 'hic'... you little shit!" But before the drunkard's blow could land on it's mark, a small thud was heard in it's place.

Naruto froze in his sandals, not knowing why he hadn't been struck yet. He carefully opened his tear filled eyes, only to see a fist clenched firmly in front of his face with another hand holding it stiffly in place. The boy looked up to see his rescuer, finding the face of the masked jounin as halted his attacker's advance.

"You've made a very big mistake!!!" Kakashi growled, throwing so much killing intent into the air that it was almost tangible. Kakashi's only visible eye was filled with an endless amount of burning rage, so much so that even Naruto didn't dare to gaze into it.

"Why are you protecting this little monster?! He's nothing but a..." The man soon found out the consequences in his poor choice of words as the enraged copy ninja grabbed his throat and promptly slammed him into the opposite wall. A sickening crack was heard as his head hit against the hard surface behind him. "Agghhh!!!!"

Naruto watched on in complete shock as the jounin effectively knocked the man into unconsciousness with a single hardened blow. Blood began to fall from the back of his head and down the wall he was held against. Kakashi then let go of his grip and let the body fall limply to the floor. Naruto, having fallen into a complete state of shock, then sank down against the wall he was leaning against and then proceeded to cry on the floor, releasing the tension of what had just happened through his tears. Kakashi turned around to face the sobbing boy as he sat on the floor, walking up to Naruto to check if he was unharmed.

"Are you okay?" Kakashi gulped, reaching his hand out to touch the boy's shoulder.

Naruto immediately noticed his advancement and quickly pulled away from his grasp, still holding his hands up to his face as the tears poured over them. The masked jounin pulled his hand away again, realizing that the boy didn't want to be touched by anyone he didn't trust. The jounin was relieved, however, to see that Naruto only had a red bruise on his left cheek. Most of the damage, no doubt, was psychological.

Just at that moment, Iruka and Kurenai charged into the alleyway, franticly searching for the lost boy. The chunin's face went pale when he caught sight of a crying Naruto sitting on the floor only a small distance away from a large unconscious man.

"Oh no... what have they done this time?" Iruka ran up to the boy and quickly fell down into a crouch beside him. "Naruto, what happened? Are you alright?" At the sound of his sensei's voice, Naruto quickly looked up from his tears and leapt into Iruka's arms, crying on his shoulder as he held on for dear life.

"I... Iruka-sensei..." the boy mumbled, not letting go of the man. Kuenai walked over to the blank, expressionless face that was Kakashi and then looked down to the unconscious man beside him.

"W... what happened here?" Kakashi snapped out of his daze and looked over to the red-eyed jounin.

"Naruto was about to be attacked by this drunk when I found him. If I arrived any later..." The copy ninja's visible face fell into a heavy cringe, emanating with the frustration he felt inside. "How... how can they do this to such a young boy?" The jounin's voice was filled with a deep anger that threatened to tear apart anything that it fell upon.

The two then watched as Iruka tried to release Naruto's hold on him, but the boy didn't want to let go. He eventually resigned to picking Naruto up off the floor and carrying him in his arms back to the training field. The boy just held on to his sensei's jacket as tightly as he could, not wanting to leave his defensive shield of protection. Kurenai began to follow soon afterwards, but then realized Kakashi was still standing in place.

"Aren't you coming?" she murmured, gaining the jounin's wavering attention.

"I'll be with you guys soon, I just have a special delivery to make for Ibiki." The woman just nodded her head in understanding before turning to follow Iruka. Kakashi then turned back to the unconscious man laying on the floor.

--

Somewhere, a lone wandering Anko felt a chill crawl up her spine.

"Ooohhh! Is someone thinking about me?" she murmured to herself, before taking a bite off her dango stick. "I... haven't felt a chill... like that since standing... in front of Orochimaru for... the first time." she murmured, as she chewed on her meal. The truth is, there were three people in Konoha who know had Anko on the brain. The sadistic jounin was about to get a lot of _'special'_ requests in the next few coming days.

--

Iruka and Kurenai eventually found themselves walking back into the quiet safety of their private training field, the said chunin still carrying a panic stricken Naruto in his arms. He gently let the boy down onto the grass underneath the shade of a nearby tree and sat himself next to him, letting out a deep breath as he did. He then turned to look down at the boy sitting next to him with concerned eyes.

"Are you alright?" The man murmured, putting his arm around a still shaking Naruto. The boy just gave a small nod before leaning his head against his sensei's chest.

"I... I'll be fine." he stuttered through his sobs. Iruka could feel Naruto's emotions slowly coming back under control. He gave a deep sigh of relief and squeezed the boy in comfort. Naruto had cried far to many tears today... far to many. The chunin was just about ready to kill every villager in sight, in fact the only thing stopping him from doing just that was the fact that he knew Naruto wouldn't approve of such an action.

"Naruto, if you like, we can stop the training for today and continue tomorrow. What do you say?" Naruto pulled of Iruka's chest and sat upright, looking down at the grass as he thought about his sensei's proposal.

"No Iruka-sensei. I have to carry on training, otherwise I'll never get better. I have to catch up to the rest of my class if I ever want to become a shinobi." Iruka could feel a sudden spurt of determination flowing from Naruto's touch and then smiled. It seemed the boy was adamant, despite what he had just been through. Kurenai herself found her lips etching into a grin, but it was a somewhat sad and empty one. It was hard to truly smile after seeing the boy she cared for in so much pain.

"Alright Naruto, if that's what you want. Kurenai and I will always be here for you the whole time." The boy looked up and smiled at his two precious people, the only two who were ever allowed to touch him.

"I know..."

"It's good to hear you're ready to continue, because it's time to teach you something even more exciting." The three sets of eyes immediately shot up to see Kakashi sitting on a branch above them.

"How long have you been waiting there?!" Kurenai scowled, her eyes drilling into the masked jounin. Kakashi jumped off the branch and landed smoothly in front of his companions.

"I just got here now if you must know. Naruto, if you don't mind, can you please meet me in the centre of the field?" Naruto reluctantly left the safety of Iruka's arms and complied, walking away with a heavy sigh. Once he left for his destination Kakashi turned to his companion's and spoke again.

"Once we have this jutsu down, I think one of us should also start Naruto on self defence training as well, perhaps some taijutsu to begin with. He'll have to be able to protect himself when we're not around to look after him." The other two nodded in agreement and then watched as Kakashi moved over to where Naruto stood.

The masked jounin could see the nervousness in the boy's body language as he approached, realizing Naruto was still in shock after what he had just been through.

"So, are you sure you're ready to continue our training?" Kakashi murmured as he stepped up to the blond. "If you want to stop for now I understand completely." Naruto took a deep gulp before answering.

"Y... yes Kakashi-sama, I'm sure." The jounin shrugged at the boy's formal use of words, but knew it was only because Naruto was still intimidated by him somewhat. But he knew what he was about to say next would cheer Naruto up.

"Good, because now I'm going to be teaching you a new jutsu and a very high level one at that." Kakashi's one eye looked carefully over the boy, waiting to see his reaction and, as expected, Naruto's face blew up into the very embodiment of excitement. He knew that would put a grin on Naruto's face.

"R... really?! What is it?" The masked jounin smiled under his.

"It's a very advanced form of the replication jutsu you were learning at the academy. It's called the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Naruto's eyes went wide with excitement and anticipation, but then quickly lost their sparkle as a sudden memory came to mind.

"I... I already tried to learn that jutsu, but I couldn't read the instructions on the scroll" Naruto skulked as he recalled the night of Mizuki's betrayal. Kakashi was surprised at first, but then remembered what Iruka told him about Naruto stealing the scroll of sealing on Mizuki's behalf.

"Ah yes, that may be true, but this time you won't be reading anything. I'm going to be showing you how to do it myself." Naruto's face lit up once more at the sound of Kakashi's words. Suddenly this day got a whole lot better for the boy.

The next few minutes were spent with Kakashi explaining the ins and outs of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, as well as it's advantages and risks. The boy listened with complete attention, his eyes not once leaving the jounin instructer as he demonstrated the poses and hand seals. After all that was said and done, Naruto began to attempt the jutsu for himself.

--

Naruto had now spent hours trying to activate the Shadow clone jutsu, but there was still no luck. The boy was slowly beginning to run low on chakra (and self confidence) after many repeated attempts to master the skill. Kakashi watched on with a heavy face and an even heavier heart as the boy tried over and over again, helping him out when he saw a mistake. He would have tried to help the boy settle into a better standing position and posture to make better use of his vast stamina reserves, but he knew Naruto wouldn't want to be touched so he had to resort to visually showing the blond what he could. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Kakashi eventually raised his hand to call for a stop. He could see Naruto was close to pushing himself over the edge and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of his two protectors' wrath if something happened to the boy.

"Alright Naruto, that's enough for today. We can try again tomorrow after school." The said boy quickly threw his hands down in frustration. Even with Kakashi showing him how to do it, he still couldn't get it right.

"Why... why am I so useless!?! Why can I never get anything right?!" Naruto shouted, as tears formed in his eyes. Iruka and Kurenai heard the commotion from where they sat and watched on with heavy hearts. Kakashi looked over to the boy with saddened eyes.

"Naruto... that's the orphanage talking now isn't it?' Naruto flinched and looked up to the man with a sudden wince of pain in his heart.

"I......." Naruto was at a loss for words. The boy looked down at the ground and slowly broke into tears as the thoughts of his caretaker's cruel taunts flowed into his mind. Kakashi knew he hit a sore spot, but Naruto needed to hear this for his own good.

"Naruto..." Kakashi continued. "The reason you're always being held back is because you don't know how to believe in yourself any more. Those bastards at the orphanage have taken that away from you as well as many other things." Kakashi then knelt down in front of the boy and locked his eyes with Naruto's.

"I know what they said was cruel and sometime's you may even think they were actually telling the truth about you, but they _**were not**_ right about you at all. I want you to know that you are definitely _**not**_ useless, you're _**not**_ any of those terrible things they made you feel like at the orphanage and you are most certainly _**not**_ **_a monster_**."

Naruto felt his heart being pulled inside as listened to Kakashi's speech. The memories of Iruka's words of kindness flowed into his mind.

**_"Naruto isn't a monster, he's a special boy who I've come to love and acknowledge." _**

**_"Naruto... It's not about what's in here that's important. It's about what's in your heart that determines you who you really are deep inside."_**

**_"You did great Naruto, you did wonderfully. I'm so proud of you."  
_**

The boy felt a well of emotions filling up inside his body. He knew Iruka cared for him. He was the first person to really believe in the boy and he would always tell Naruto he was proud of him. It was the type of thing he always wanted from a father and he wasn't about to disappoint the man that held him in such high regard.

"Iruka-sensei, you've always believed in me. I won't let you down know."

Naruto then wiped the tears from his eyes and nodded in understanding, the boy knew what he had to do. He couldn't allow the cruelty of others to bring him down, he couldn't allow them to rule his life and determine who he really was inside. he looked up from the floor with newfound determination, staring into the eye of his instructor.

"Kakashi-sama... if you don't mind I would like to continue the training." Kakashi smiled as he saw the newfound determination in the boy's face and a glimmer of shimmering gold in his eyes. He then stood up again and nodded his head in approval.

"Alright, then lets do this." Naruto slammed his palms into each other once more and made a single seal. A sudden spike of chakra began to flow around his body, moving the grass apart under his feat. Kakashi, Kurenai and Iruka were all surprised by the sheer amount of chakra he still managed to radiate despite his severe exhaustion. **"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!!"**

A large puff of smoke erupted into the air around the boy, causing Iruka and Kurenai to stand up in anticipation. Kakashi's own heart froze in place as he waited for the haze to clear. When it did, an astonishing sight was met before their eyes. There, standing next to Naruto, was a picture perfect copy of the boy, fixed in the exact same pose as he was.

"Naruto!!! You did it!!!" Iruka yelled, pulling the boy out of his trance. Naruto looked over to his side to see another Naruto staring back at him in confusion. His face suddenly began to light up as he realized what he had just accomplished.

"I... did it... I really did it!" Naruto leapt into... _Naruto's_ arms and the two identical twins began to jump up and down in excitement.

"I did it, I did it, I did it!!!" The other three watched with lifting spirits as the two boys danced in a circle, jumping up and down on the spot. Kakashi just laughed at the sight of it. One smile from Naruto was enough to lift your heart, two was that much better.

"Alright Naruto" Kakashi giggled. "It's time to dispel your clone."

"Hai!" Naruto did as Kakashi requested and held his seal to release his jutsu. Once the other Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, the boy turned to Iruka with massive grin on his face.

"Go ahead" Kakashi sighed, knowing what was coming. Naruto didn't even hesitate to comply and quickly ran over to his sensei. He leapt into Iruka's arms and squeezed as tightly as he could.

"I did it Iruka-sensei! I completed the Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The chunin felt a rush of emotions flowing into him as the boy began to quiver in his arms.

"I... I really did it..." It was almost as though the boy were still trying to convince himself of his own achievement.

"Yes Naruto... you did do it and I couldn't be more proud of you." Naruto then pulled out of the hug and gave his sensei a teary grin. He needed to hear that, he just needed to hear someone else say it, just so he knew it was really true. With that, Naruto's eyes began to fall dark and he soon collapsed unconscious onto the floor.

"N.. Naruto!" Iruka yelped as he watched Naruto hit the ground with a thud.

"Don't worry, he'll be alright." The panicked chunn looked up to a smiling Kakashi.

"He's just passed out from exhaustion that's all. Take him home and get some rest, he'll need it after today." Iruka let out a deep sigh of relief and then picked Naruto up off the floor.

"Kakashi... I just wanna say... thanks... for your help. You don't know how much this means to me and Naruto." Kakashi gave off an eye smile and waved the chunin off.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll see you two tomorrow after school then." With that the jounin disappeared in a gust of wind and leaves. Kurenai smiled as he vanished out of sight. The masked freak was slowly making it from the _'people she must kill'_ list to the _'__just barely tolerable'_ list. She would still have to see about those books of his though.

"I guess there's no studying tonight then." Iruka sighed as he looked down at the unconscious body in his arms. Naruto's face was so peaceful as he lay there quietly, almost completely at peace. It was almost as though he were still smiling in his sleep, remembering with pride what he had just managed to accomplish. The chunin then carried the young boy home in his arms, waving off Kurenai as they parted ways. Although it had been a very rough day for Naruto, Iruka had a feeling it turned out alright after all. The look on Naruto's face was one filled with hope and achievement. He was so very proud of the boy he came to think of as his son. Now he just needed to contact a certain sadistic ninja and set up a meeting.

--

It's back to school in the next chapter. Some more emotional clashes await as Naruto begins to re-find himself and mend the broken soul that was shattered by his past.  
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)


	12. Chapter 12 Friends and Enemies

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Sorry it took me a bit longer to upload this chapter, but I had a busy weekend. Anyway, here it is, finally. (It's also currently my longest standing chapter so far.)  
I just wanted to say thans for al the reviews I've received so far. I really appreciate it so here's another chapter for you to enjoy.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter! :)

--

**Chapter 12 - Friends and Enemies**

The cold rush of gently flowing water began to slowly soak the body of a young boy, who's shattered heart harbours the nightmares and torments of his every fear. The damp Iron labyrinth of pipes and rusted iron slowly came into view once again as Naruto opened his eyes, his body almost completely submerged in the rising water that now threatened to swallow him.

"I... I'm back here again?" He gulped, picking himself up from the floor. Naruto took a brief moment to look around the drenched room, only to see the same iron cage that he had witnessed in his dreams before.

"I... wonder what this place is? Why do I keep coming back here?" The boy then began to walk towards the iron bars to look at the symbol placed in front of it. He had to try and make out what it said, it was the only way to make sense of what was going on.

As we slowly waded through the knee-deep water, a large growl resounded throughout the room, hailing from deep behind the iron bars. Naruto froze in his feet as the water shook and rippled around him, his heart filling with the terror of a scared child. Whatever that sound was it was definitely evil, there was no doubt about it. Naruto tried to shake off his fears, willing them aside in order to continue. It was only a dream after all... he hoped.

Naruto began to slowly edge forward once more, his quivering legs carrying him closer to his goal. He clasped his hands together tightly and held them against his chest, trying to shake of the cold that seeped into his bones. Just as he began to pick up his pace once more, the water around him began to stir violently, rising even higher up his body. The boy froze in place once again and he looked down at the threatening advance, his fear of drowning beginning to surface once more.

"No.... NO!!!" Naruto cried out in terror as the ensuing rush of water began to rapidly swallow him. The young boy could no longer feel the floor at his feet and soon he was desperately trying to keep himself afloat, splashing his arms in a panic.

After a few brief moments of struggling, his head eventually sank beneath the waters surface as he took one last desperate gulp of breath. The air in his lungs slowly began to burn away as he instinctively grasped out for anything to help him remain afloat, his mind reeling through the sheer terror of his ordeal.

"Iruka-sensei, where are you?..." He thought to himself as the icy chill consumed him. Just then another large rumble sounded throughout the water and to Naruto's ears. The boy opened his eyes and looked into the shadowy abyss that now began to swallow him. He gazed past the iron cage that held the ominous growl only to see two massive, dark red eyes slowly opening behind them, glowing in the eternal darkness beyond. A terrible and malicious voice soon followed afterwards.

_"So... weak. To be ruled by such fears as these is a weakness that only a child would divulge in. You have caused me a great deal of trouble with these pathetic emotions of yours."_

Naruto closed his eyes again as the voice sounded throughout the waters depths, piercing into his vulnerable heart with all it's malice and cruelty. He was desperately hoping and praying that this nightmare would end soon. Just then, as if to answer an unspoken wish Naruto's eyes shot open once again, revealing the warm safety of his bedroom. The boy looked up to the ceiling above him, gasping for air as he tried to quell his burning lungs.

"If... if it was just a dream, then why do I feel like my lungs are still aching?" Naruto murmured to himself, grasping at his chest with his hand. His body was still quivering from the icy chill that had sunk into him.

Naruto tried to remove the image of those terrible dark red eyes out of his mind. They were filled with so much malice and hatred that it was enough to break a person's soul. For Naruto, it was just another reminder of the same eyes that always viewed him with so much cruelty and anger. His soul was already shattered into pieces a long time ago and the only thing keeping him from losing it all together was the kindness of a certain young man.

--

The rest of the morning went without much further incident. Naruto went through his usual ritual of showering and then getting dressed and ready for the academy, before eating breakfast with Iruka. He didn't once mention the nightmare he had while they sat down with one another. He didn't want to make his sensei worry any more than he already did. Naruto knew that he would have to figure this out on his own. Whatever the dream was, it seemed to always play on all of his deepest fears. First, the attack by his warden and Mizuki, along with the cruelty of the villagers and now his newly formed fear of drowning. Then there was the issue of whoever, or whatever, had spoken to him from behind those iron bars. Naruto was beginning to suspect what it was, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions just yet.

After breakfast was finished, the two of them left the house and headed over to the academy to begin the new week. Iruka could feel a mix of emotions coming from Naruto as he held the boys shoulders in his arms, but when he asked about it, Naruto just forced a grin and reassured his sensei that nothing was wrong. Iruka could feel from Naruto's touch that it was obviously a lie, but he didn't press it any further. If Naruto wanted to talk to him about it, then it would eventually come up later on. Perhaps some ramen from Ichirakus would loosen the boy's tongue. Once the two were eventually in the safety of the academy building, they made there way to the classroom and Naruto sat down at his seat, avoiding the icy glares of the already present students. Iruka quickly raised his voice above that of the snickering kids and quieted them down.

"Alright, today we are going to be working on your stamina levels and agility. I want you all to head outside into the training courtyard right away to begin our exercises." The pink haired girl known as Sakura quickly shot to her feet in protest.

"But Iruka-sensei, I thought we were having a spot test on advanced battle formations. I studied the whole weekend for that!" Iruka just radiated a brief grin.

"I recall saying that I _**might**_ give you a spot test, but I eventually decided against it. It was too much trouble and I was tired."

If looks could kill, which in some cases (like Naruto's) they most certainly can, then Iruka would no doubt already be dead. It was just a good thing Sakura didn't have any secret doujutsu otherwise the chunin might have found himself keeling over on the spot. Sakura was always one to grasp the opportunity to prove how smart she was. She practically reveled at the chance of taking a class test so this intrusion of her self proclaimed justice was a big thorn in the kunoichi's side.

The blond haired, blue eyed boy sitting further in front of her just giggled in his seat, gaining a well timed wink from a certain scarred chunin. The young Inuzuka sitting next to him almost jumped out of his seat when he heard the unfamiliar chuckling sound. He had never heard Naruto laugh before now, and it was quite unusual to hear. Even Akamaru yapped in surprise.

After a few more rants from the pink haired kunoichi in training and a few boring sighs from Shikamaru who mumbled something about girls being crazy, the class eventually filed out of the room to do their training. Naruto waited patiently until everyone else had left and then made his way out of his seat. He didn't want to leave with the rest of the group and risk the cruelty of the class bullies, not to mention the risk of touching someone while travelling in a crowd. Iruka placed his arm over the boy's shoulder as he arrived at the front of his desk and the two began to head out together.

--

Anko Mitarashi was a woman with a purpose. To say that she was one of the more... enthusiastic kunoichi in Konoha would be a massive understatement on anyone's part. The woman practically reveled in the confines of battle, always ready to accept a dangerous mission if it meant she could let loose and spill someone else's blood. Some just thought that she was crazy and delusional, that she had inherited the spirit of her former sensei, but the third Hokage knew the truth behind her seemingly sadistic streak. In reality, the young woman was akin to what one would call the walking dead.

There was no longer any real life in the body that carried her desolated spirit. Her soul had long since been torn apart by her former sensei, the snake sannin known as Orochimaru, and had since been remolded into something she now hated completely. Nowadays, the purple haired jounin would always accept even the most suicidal missions without missing a heart beat. It was almost as though she was searching for death, waiting for a release from the tormenting memories of her past crimes. Today, she was on her way to the Hokage tower to seek out one such mission.

As she made her way through the dusty streets of Konoha, the young woman caught sight of an open green field with a river running closely nearby. It was one of the more secluded training fields in the village, normally reserved only for the more prestigious clan members in order for them to safely guard their secret techniques from prying eyes. Anko herself had never actually really noticed it before now. The special jounin slowly made her way over to the soft green grass and walked on its inviting surface. It was very apparent that it's surface had hardly ever been disturbed before because there were hardly any visible signs of human interference.

"Well, I guess a few minutes of peace wouldn't hurt" she quietly mused to herself.

It wasn't often that she took the time to relax and quietly enjoy herself, in fact she couldn't even remember the last time she even took the time to stare at the passing clouds. Oh sure, she always seemed to be grinning and laughing sadistically on the outside but that was all just a well conceived mask, one that she wore to hide her true emotions from the world around her. She didn't want to be taken advantage of ever again and putting on a intimidating front helped prevent anyone from doing just that. Orochimaru had used her state of vulnerability to lure her into a compromising situation and she would never allow that to happen ever again. Trust was now something that didn't come easily for the woman and there were very few people she considered friends.

As Anko slowly made her way to the rivers edge, her body began to tense as her feet rummaged through the soft green grass. It was almost as though she could feel the remnant pain of another suffering soul, the same kind of pain she felt when she was rejected by those around her after Orochimaru's betrayal. She knew that kind of sadness all to well and it wasn't difficult for her to detect.

"Someone.... someone has been crying here. Someone just like me" Anko gulped, her eyes wondering around the tranquil scene, but it's beauty only hid the scarred emotions of another tortured soul like hers. "Perhaps... I shouldn't be here." The jounin could feel the last vestiges pain and suffering in the air around her and decided it wasn't a good idea to remain behind for long. Anko then turned on her heels and was about to leave the training field when she caught sight of a messenger hawk traveling through the sky towards her.

"Ooohh! Someone likes me! I never usually get messages." Anko jumped up and down on the spot with glee instantly forgetting her brief moment of angst. Although it was no doubt a request for some crazey, suicidal mission she still enjoyed the prospect of someone actively seeking her out. It meant she was needed, that she was wanted, even if it was only her skills that were required.

It was then that she caught sight of a second messenger hawk approaching from the opposite direction, also headed towards the now completely flabbergasted jounin.

"Huh! Two messages? I must have found my way onto the Konoha's most wanted list all of a sudden."

To say that Anko wasn't surprised when she then caught sight of a _third_ hawk approaching would be like saying Jiraiya wasn't a pervert and Kakashi would stop reading his dirty novels. The jounin could only watch on in amazement as the three birds of prey slowly descended down towards her. The feisty birds caught sight of one another's approach and quickly proceeded to clash into each other, falling in a clump of feathers and talons right in front of the surprised jounin.

Messenger hawks were trained to intercept and engage any other message carriers they encountered on their journeys and although they were also trained to recognised friendlies, they were still often aggressive towards there competitors. Anko, who realized what was about to happen, promptly seated herself on the ground and miraculously pulled out a box of dango from an unknown hiding place. (Who knows where she would keep something like that). She the proceeded to munch on the tasty morsels, watching the entertaining show in front of her as the birds proceeded to tear each other apart.

"Who... ever thought that... messenger hawks could be so... competitive?" Anko mused to herself, giggling as the bird brawl continued in front of her. "This is great, we should do this more often! I could even hold a betting ring and make a few bucks as well."

The jounin hadn't had this much fun since watching the last chunin exams. Who ever thought that stupid birds could put on such an entertaining display. After a few more minutes and a few more feathers spread around the ground, Anko eventually began to grow somewhat bored of the show and chased the birds off. She then grabbed the messages that were left on the ground and opened each one to read them, her eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"Huh? This is interesting indeed. Hehehe, I guess it's time to put on something... more enticing, but first I'm gonna visit that old man and maybe give him a nose bleed. It's so fun to watch him squirm in his chair."

--

Naruto supported his body with his hands on his knees as he desperately gasped for air, his lungs were now burning from lack of oxygen due to the heavy training excises they had just partaken in. The entire class had to run a very complex obstacle course consisting of numerous challenges including a log balancing section, a barbed wire mud crawling section and many other precarious dangers. The boy's body was now filled with scratch marks and mud stains. Interestingly enough, and much to the bitter anguish of some of his other nastier classmates, Naruto had actually made pretty good time. In fact, he had beaten most of the other times in his group except for a select few, including Sasuke and Kiba who both still had superior agility.

Iruka suspected that it was his tree climbing and water walking exercises that enhanced the boy's speed so much. That was the original goal behind those training methods in the first place. He could see that Naruto was proud of his achievement, but he could also see the resentful stares of some of his classmates. The class kunoichis, on the other hand, were all by now in a complete fuss over their hindered looks. Most of the made very poor time, trying too hard to keep themselves from getting dirty instead of focussing on the task at hand. Naruto himself silently cursed the fact that he was wearing a white T-shirt. His entire body was now completely filled with mud and leaves and even his face was well endowed with the rings of dirt and grime.

After everyone had completed their turn around the track, Iruka called an end to the training excises and led everyone back inside to the change rooms to clean themselves off. Luckily, he had brought an extra change of clothes for Naruto, knowing what they would be doing that day. As the made their way down the academy hallways, Naruto fell back from the group of students and quietly strode up next to his sensei. Iruka caught sight of his mud filled face and smiled at the sight of it. This in turn caused Naruto to slap on a toothy grin of his own, causing Iruka to chuckle. To see those blue eyes and sparkling white teeth hiding behind a wall of dirt was quite the sight indeed.

"Hehehe, we're gonna have to get that muck off of your face otherwise it's gonna freeze into place like that." Naruto's expression then immediately fell into a look of concern.

"W... will that really happen Iruka-sensei?"

"Hahahaha... no Naruto it wont really happen!" Iruka laughed, amused by his students innocent nature. "You... haha... should have seen the look... on your face!"

Naruto began to pout, realizing he had just been duped by his sensei again. Iruka just giggled inwardly at the sight of his muddy expression and then put his arms around the boy's shoulder, pulling the boy closer beside him. Naruto's face began to relax again as he closed his eyes, leaning against the chunins side with his head. The boys whiskered face emanated with the warmth of his smile as he snuggled up against his sensei's vest.

Iruka didn't mind the fact that he was now getting completely full of mud, he was just happy to bask in the warm emotions coming from the boy beside him. There were a few curious glances from the students scattered around the hallway, but he just shrugged them off. He didn't care what people thought anymore, he didn't care if they saw him holding Naruto in his arms. Why shouldn't the boy be allowed to hug someone without fear of the repercussions or harsh judgement from those around him. It just wasn't fair for Naruto.

After showering themselves off from their grime and setting into a fresh change of clothes, the students were dismissed for their lunchtime break. Naruto waved Iruka off and then headed into the academy grounds, searching for his usual spot on the same swing he always sat atop. After heading outside, Naruto slowly made his way through the small playground, searching around as the other kids formed small groups with their friends. Shikamaru and Choujij were busy sitting under a nearby tree, enjoying the cool shade while the Akamichi snacked on his lunch. Kiba and Akamaru were running around the open grass, chasing one another in a game of tag while Shino observed some bugs walking along a nearby plant with astounding interest.

Sasuke was busy moping about under another tree while his fanclub watched him intently from nearby. Hinata was the only girl that didn't seem interested in him, in fact Naruto was surprised to find the white-eyed girl gazing at him instead. He tried to shrug it off knowing that it was probably too good to be true, after all, no-one ever wanted to be around him. Everyone else had friends to spend there breaks with, to laugh and play with in the sun, but Naruto was all alone with only a wooden swing and his own thoughts to keep him company. The boy eventually refocussed his mind once more and proceeded to his usual waiting spot, but as he caught sight of his temporary haven he only found it now completely surrounded by the local school bullies.

_"Damn, I guess they're waiting for me to arrive. They're probably still upset that I beat their times in the training run." _Naruto was about to turn around and head off again, when one of the impatiently waiting boys caught sight of him.

"Hey! There he is! Lets get the little brat!" The said blond felt his heart jump at the sound of their words. He quickly darted off as fast as his feet could carry him, trying to avoid the cruelty of the boys fists he was sure to meet if they caught him.

"Get back here you little runt! We wont hurt you too badly!" one of them snickered.

Apparently, Naruto was travelling a lot faster than he thought, because soon he had lost his pursuers completely. After looking back over his shoulders to ensure his safety, Naruto dropped next to a nearby tree and leaned against its hard, wooden surface.

"Whew! That was too close." Naruto sighed, trying to catch his breath. The boy then began to relieve his built up emotions in the form of tears stinging at the back of his eyes but before he could even think of crying, the frustrated sounds of a nearby anguished voice reached his ears.

"Damn it, I'll show them all!"

Naruto slowly peered around the base of the tree he leaned against, catching sight of another young boy as he drove his fists into a nearby training post. The wooden frame was slowly being demolished by the power of his blows, while splinters embedded themselves in his heavily clenched fists. He was wearing a white robe like shirt and pants and his black hair shined unnaturally in the morning sunlight. He also had the biggest eyebrows Naruto had ever seen in his life.

Naruto watched on with a keen interest as the boy, who seemed just a little older than he was, continued to plow away at his target, muffling brief words of frustration as he demolished the logs with his bare fists.

"I'll show them that I can be a great ninja even if I only know how to use taijutsu." The boy's eyes slowly began to fill with tears as his fists marked with blood and fresh wounds, but his wounds seemed to run deeper that just physical ones. Naruto could see the pain in his eyes, it was a similar type of pain he saw every time he looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes showed the feelings of rejection that weighed heavily on his heart.

"He almost has the same eyes as me." Naruto mumbled as he watched the boy continue. The said boy obviously heard the muffled ramblings from nearby, because soon he as turning to look in Naruto's direction. He briefly managed to catch sight of Naruto's blue eyes and blond hair just before the boy disappeared behind the tree again.

"No... I shouldn't have let him see me. What if he wants to hurt me just like the others?" Naruto cursed to himself, slapping his forehead in frustration.

"Hey, wh... who's there?" the dark haired boy sobbed as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He then slowly began to walk over to where Naruto hid, walking around the tree to see the boy huddling his knees up against his chest. Naruto was quivering in his sandals as he sat firmly against the surface of the tree, his eyes were wrought with the fear and panic of being so close to someone he didn't know, someone who might hurt him just because of who he was. If the dark haired boy could do that to a training post, what could he do to him?

"Hey there... my name is Lee." The boy mumbled, slowly approaching Naruto. "Is... something wrong? I'm not going to hurt you." Naruto pulled back even further against the wooden surface behind him, not wanting to touch another stranger unwillingly.

"I... I'm really sorry... I was... I was just watching, I promise..." Naruto mumbled, his voice shaking in fear. He was still afraid that the boy was going to hurt him for intruding.

"Hey there's no need to apologize, I'm not angry. Here, let me help you up." Lee extended his hand for the boy to hold on to, but Naruto just pulled away even more. The boy's knuckles and fingers were still red with the marks of his 'training'.

Lee began to frown in discomfort, he had never seen so much fear inside the eyes of another as that of which he saw in Naruto's. He wanted to say something else, to reassure the boy that he wasn't going to harm him, but before he could open his mouth the cruel snickers of Naruto's pursuer's sounded from behind the two boys.

"There he his, lets get the little brat!" Naruto yelped in panic at the approach of the other boys. He quickly sprang to his feet and hurtled off as fast as he could. Lee watched on with complete shock as the other, clearly bigger kids chased after him.

"Is... is that why he was hiding?" Not being one to let such injustices going unanswered, Lee began to give chase as well. He wasn't about to let a boy get bullied when he could do something to prevent it.

Naruto continued to run throughout the academy grounds, desperately trying to create some distance between himself and his pursuers, but even he could only go so far. The boy eventually found himself running into a dead end amongst the walls of the academy structure, his escape being completely closed of from all sides. Naruto turned around to see the cruel glares of his classmates as they entered in after him.

"I guess you thought you were pretty smart making us look bad in our training" one of them snickered. "I don't know how a dobe like you managed to do so well, but after we're done with you I assure you there won't be a second time." Naruto slowly backed away against the wall behind him.

"Please... I won't do it again, I promise. Just leave me alone." The kids just ignored Naruto's please and closed in around the boy.

"Oh, we know you won't, in fact we're going to make sure of that." Naruto's heart began to race in his chest as his cruel fate closed in on him. It wasn't the first time he had run in with these bullies and it never ended well for him, this would be no different from before. But before he could even close his eyes as instinct demanded, a voice called out from behind his attackers.

"Hey, leave that boy alone!" The three other boys turned around to face their new challenger, only to see the fuzzy-browed, outlandish looking Lee standing before them.

"To pick on someone who is outnumbered and smaller than you is cowardly, I cannot just stand by and allow you to harm him." Naruto felt his heart welling up inside as the dark haired boy appeared into view. The other kids just snickered at the sight of their new target.

"Hahaha, what are you going to do to us. I bet you couldn't even hurt a fly if you tried." Lee just ignored their taunts and fell into a taijutsu stance, preparing for his opponents' attacks.

"So, he's really serious about fighting us then? Fine, I'll take care of this dweeb."

One of the boys hurled himself forward at the waiting Lee, throwing his fist in a brutal attack against his smaller opponent, but the boy didn't even move from his standing position. Naruto watched on with complete amazement as he caught the fist in his hand. Before the other boy even knew what was happening, Lee then twisted underneath his arm, causing it to bend into a rather peculiar and painful position. He then spun into a low leg sweep, bringing the larger boy crashing into the ground with a heavy thud, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

The other two boys quickly charged forward to engage him, but both of them found themselves on the receiving end of his powerful blows. Neither of them could even block Lee's astonishingly fast movements and they were soon retreating from the battle with their still winded friend, throwing curses back at the blond boy who was still standing in awe.

"You can't hide behind your friend forever dobe. We'll get you eventually!" Lee watched as Naruto's attackers ran out of view, flinching at the word 'dobe' as though he had heard it many times before himself. He then turned back to see the blond boy sinking to the floor in a violent quiver.

"Hey there... are you alright?" Lee slowly walked up to the boy and knelt down in front of him. He reached out with his hand to grab him, but Naruto sensed his advance and pulled away.

"No... please... don't touch me, whenever people touch me bad things just always seem to happen." The dark haired boy reluctantly complied and withdrew his hand. Naruto was still quivering in fear from the near disaster he had just avoided. He would hate to think what Iruka would have done if he came back into the class a mess. He didn't want his sensei to think he was getting bullied at school as well, that would just make the man more anxious. He began to wipe away the fresh tears stinging at his eyes and then opened them once more.

"Hey Lee... thanks for helping me back there. You didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it." Lee just grinned and waved it off.

"Yosh... it was no problem." Lee exclaimed, forcing a grin onto his face. "I just couldn't stand by and watch someone else get hurt, especially when he hasn't done anything wrong. Oh wait, I still don't know your name." Naruto looked up from the floor and took a deep breath.

"It's Naruto.... my name is Naruto Uzumaki."

"Nice to meat you Naruto-kun, my full name is Rock Lee, but you can just call me Lee." It was then that Lee noticed the golden eyes staring back in his direction.

"Hey Naruto... weren't your eyes blue before?" Naruto yelped at the sound of the boy's words.

"Oh no, you weren't supposed to see that. Damn it! Now everyone is going to hate me even more." Lee watched as Naruto held his head in anguish, shaking it from side to side as he continued to curse. "Lee please, you can't tell anyone about my eyes, otherwise they're going to hurt me... please, just promise me you wont say anything."

Lee didn't understand what Naruto was going on about. He couldn't understand why someone would hurt Naruto just because of his eyes, but he wasn't one to argue. If he could keep the boy from any harm, then that's exactly what he would do.

"Alright Naruto-kun, I promise not to tell anyone about your eyes." Naruto felt a deep sense of relief wash over him.

"Thanks... I really appreciate it."

Just then, the call for their breaks end sounded and Lee rose back to his feet. "Well I guess it's time to head back into class. I'll see you around then?" Lee then turned back to look at the boy sitting on the floor. Naruto was still staring quietly at the ground with his arms around his knees. His eyes were now once again the same blue oceans they were before, but they were still filled with fear and anxiety.

"Naruto, if you like, I can walk you back to your class first." Naruto looked up to the other boy with longing and appreciative eyes.

"Th... that would be great."

Naruto then rose to his feet and allowed a brief smile to emanate off his lips. It wasn't often that a complete stranger would offer their help to him rather than just attacking him on sight. The two boys then headed off back into the academy building and towards Naruto's class. Once they arrived, Lee waved the boy off with a massive toothy grin and then headed down the hallway to his own class. Naruto let out a deep sigh of relief and then entered inside the safety of his classroom, making his way to his seat while Iruka watched from behind his desk.

The chunin noticed the dry tear stains on the boy's face and began to grow deeply concerned. He began to realize what might have happened when some of the older boys in the back of the class threw Naruto deadly glares while snickering under their breath. The scarred chunin quickly cleared his throat to gain the classes attention (and to draw it away from Naruto) and then continued to teach the day's remaining lessons.

--

It was now two in the afternoon and the academy students were slowly making their way out of class and back to their homes. Naruto waited patiently for everyone else to leave and then ran down to Iruka as he always did. The two of them slowly made their way out of the academy ground and towards the training field where Kakashi and Kurenai were waiting. The two jounin waved in their approach, Kakashi putting away his novel as he did so.

"Good afternoon Naruto... Iruka." Kurenai called. Kakashi just waved at the two. Iruka was still surprised that the masked jounin was on time for the second time in three days. Naruto slapped on the biggest smile he could and ran up to the waiting red-eyed jounin.

"It's good to see you Kurenai-sensei." He yelped, throwing himself into the woman's arms. Kurenai smiled as she held the boy in an embrace. She could feel his excitement and knew it had something to do with their training.

"It's good to see you too kid."

Iruka approached them soon afterwards and the four continued to share their greetings. Naruto even managed to greet Kakashi in a more relaxed tone than before, much to the jounin's surprise and relief, although he still referred to him in a more formal expression. After they had settled down once more, Kakashi began to initiate their new training schedule.

"Alright Naruto, I want you to use the technique I showed you yesterday to summon two clones of yourself." Naruto nodded his head and complied. The boy formed a single seal and began to mold his chakra.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" After a brief burst of smoke there were three Naruto's standing next to each other. The boy let out a massive grin, basking in his achievement as he summoned the clones. He gained a small pat on the back from Iruka and an approving smile from Kurenai. Kakashi just nodded his head and then continued.

"Alright, now you remember what I told you about the shadow clones and what they allow you to do?" The three boys's nodded their heads in unison. "Good, now each one of you will be training with either me, Kurenai or Iruka."

Kurenai quickly grabbed one of the Naruto's hands and lead him away from the rest of the group, while Kakashi took another aside for more doujutsu training. The last one looked at Iruka with a frustrated pout.

"Aw, why am I the one who has to study? Reading is so boring." Iruka pulled off a mock sad face and widened his eyes as much as possible, causing Naruto to yelp.

"Alright then, I understand. You don't want to spend time with your favorite sensei. I'll just take a walk by myself and see if someone else wants to spend time with me." Naruto felt his heart being torn apart inside and very soon he found himself running to hug his sensei.

"I didn't mean it like that Iruka-sensei. Please don't be upset with me." Iruka looked down at he boy with a grin on his face. Naruto's pout had long since disappeared and his expression was now one of concern and remorse and his blue eyes were as big as saucers. The chunin then roughed up the boy's hair, gaining another small giggle.

"Of course I'd never be upset with you. It's hard to be upset with a face like that." Naruto gave off a deep sigh of relief before the two made their way to a nearby tree and sat down underneath its shadow.

Iruka pulled out their reading material and began to recite each word with Naruto repeating after him. The boy was still struggling to pick up each symbol, but he was slowly getting better at it. The other two Narutos continued with their own exercises with a renewed focus.

Kurenai ran through some tree climbing exercises at first, followed afterwards by some more water walking exercises, the latter which Naruto thoroughly enjoyed. The boy couldn't stop giggling every time the two took another step further out into the stream. He watched on with complete amazement as a small shoal of fish swam beneath his feet, sometimes tickling gently against his sensitive soles. Kurenai just basked in his radiant glow, allowing herself to become lost in his bright smile. It was a smile that could steel the world away in a single heartbeat. She just couldn't understand why no-one else could see this side of Naruto. Why couldn't they see the boy behind the monster, a kid whose soul had been unfairly dragged through the mud by the cruelty and ignorance of those around him.

Kakashi, in the meantime, continued to work on the boy's doujutsu, trying to help him learn how to activate it and control it's abilities at will. Naruto was still not able to willingly activate his golden eyes, but he was slowly getting closer with every passing attempt. Every now and again, he would see a small burst of colour and life around him before losing it as quickly as it came. Kakashi noticed the small flicker of gold in his eyes every time the boy came close to activating his doujutsu.

It was frustrating to watch it vanish again just as quickly as it appeared, but the jounin knew it was better not to rush the boy into advancing too quickly. Every now and again he would give pointers to Naruto, as well as a few words of encouragement to keep his spirits from falling. He couldn't help but get the feeling that Naruto was slowly warming up to him, because the boy would briefly smile every time Kakashi praised him for his hard work.

Back under a nearby tree, Iruka continued to read to Naruto beside him. The boy had long since resigned to leaning on the chunins chest, allowing himself to relax in the safety of the man's hold. Iruka's arm ran across the boys shoulder and held him in comfort, while his other hand held the book in place. Suddenly, the prospect of reading didn't seem so bad to the boy, it was actually very relaxing for him to sit in the comfort of his sensei's embrace, feeling the soft green grass beneath his hands. After a few hours of reading Naruto's eyes eventually began to slowly inch themselves closed, the exhaustion of a long day setting into his small body.

Iruka noticed the new development and softened his voice so as to not disturb the boy's sleep. They had gone through quite a bit of reading in the last two and a half hours and Naruto earned some rest. The chunin carefully put the book away once Naruto's breathing had steadied and he slowly inched himself into a more comfortable position, trying not to wake the boy as he shuffled. He then continued to watch as Kurenai and Kakashi also called of their training respectively. The other two Naruto clones promptly dispelled themselves and allowed their memories to flow into the original's mind, causing the boy to flinch slightly as they disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kakashi and Kurenai then walked over to where Iruka and Naruto lay under the tree.

"I guess yours was tired as well" Kurenai giggled, looking down at the sleeping form in Iruka's arms. The chunin just returned the smile in kind while running his fingers through Naruto's soft hair.

"Yeah, he did seem pretty beat, but I think it may also have something to do with what happened earlier today. We had quite an intense training exercise this morning, and when Naruto came back into class after break, I could see some tear stains on his eyes. I think someone may have tried to hurt him, but there were no marks on his body so he must have gotten away from them."

Kurenai's face fell into a frown. She couldn't understand why some children could be so cruel. She herself was once the object of the other girls resent when she was training at the academy. Her naturally good looks and headstrong demeanor often attracted the stairs of most of the boys around her and she soon found herself losing all of her female friends because of jealousy. It didn't help that she was also her classes top kunoichi, but Naruto was treated cruelly for a different reason. The hatred that many of the adults held towards him passed on to their children as well, causing the boy to be shunned by both the older and newer generations.

"What he really needs is a friend to watch over him at school." Kurenai mused, looking down at the quietly sleeping figure. "Unfortunately, that's one place we can't always be there for him." Iruka nodded his head in agreement.

"Maybe I should try to find a way to look after him during his break times, or maybe he should just stay in the class with me..."

"No." Kurenai cut him off. "I don't think it's a good idea to isolate him any more than he already has been. Although it's hard for us all, he has to find a way to approach those around him, or at least let himself be approached. It's the only way he's going to get out of this lonely hole he's been forced into." Iruka let out a deep sigh.

"I guess you're right. I just wish he didn't have to be subjected to so much cruelty all the time."

Little did the three of them know that there was already one such kind soul prepared to watch over the kid. A young boy whose actions had already saved Naruto that very day. Iruka took a brief moment to stroke the hair of his favourite student and then turned his gaze back to his two fellow teachers.

"So. how's he doing with you guys? Is everything going well?" Kurenai allowed a boastful smile to emanate from her lips before answering.

"Well, he's really starting to pick up on the tree climbing and water walking exercises. He still needs more time to get used to the chakra control, but every time we try it, he keeps on improving. If he carries on at this rate, we may have it mastered sooner than I originally thought possible. Then we can maybe move onto some genjutsu training."

The red-eyed jounin looked like she was bursting at the seams with pride and with good reason too. For an academy student to be advancing so quickly through such a difficult exercise it was definitely quite impressive. Iruka wondered just how well the boy would be doing now if he hadn't been treated so poorly his entire life, it was just a pity that wasn't the case. The two of them then turned to Kakashi to hear his report. The masked jounin just gave out a weary sigh before explaining.

"Naruto is still struggling to activate his doujutsu at will, but I think it might be because of the experience he had yesterday. He's probably still a little afraid of what might happen if he uses it again. Other than that, he has made excellent progress so far and I think we're coming closer to achieving our goal."

Once they had finished reviewing their results, the three shinobi finally began to settle down under the tree once again. They had only just begun to allow themselves to briefly relax when a large iron ball shot out from the sky and into the clearing. It landed on the grass with a heavy thud and erupted in an explosion of smoke, causing Naruto to wake up from his trance of sleep.

All four of them looked on with widened eyes (except for Naruto, whose eyelids were still weighed down with fatigue) as the plume began to disappear, revealing the lone figure of a purple haired woman wearing a fish net top covered over with a long, cream coloured trench coat. She was in a very precarious pose to top it all off. The brief moment of awkward silence that followed momentarily afterwards was quickly shattered as the enthusiastic figure opened her mouth to speak.

"Anko Mitarashi reporting for duty!!!"

--

Well, that's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed! :)  
As you can see, Naruto is beginning to come in contact with other tested souls as well. Sometimes, in order to heal a broken heart, another heart that knows the same pain is needed to understand and help get them through the darkness together.


	13. Chapter 13 New Bonds

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey everyone, it's time for another chapter! I know things are moving at a slower pace than most stories do, but I just didn't want to rush things too much. I believe it ruins the emotional attachement one has to the characters when you skip out of too much of their lives too quickly. This is going to be an epic length fic anyway so be ready for the long haul.

Besides that, not many stories try to show Naruto's every day life in the academy before he became a genin and I thought it was a good opportunity to create some interesting moments, as well as some new developements never seen before. So I've decided to focus a lot more on that time frame than most other fics have. Who says academy life needs to be boring?

Anyway, hope you enjoy the next chapter! :)

--

**Chapter 13 – New Bonds**

The soft warm rays of glistening sunlight danced atop the gently flowing water, shimmering off against the nearby trees that grew near the rivers edge. Three weary souls allowed themselves to bask in the peace of the gentle breeze, losing their thoughts in the quiet symphony of bird songs and rasping grass as it swayed in the cooling wind. There, lying on top of an ever watchful Iruka, was the boy who held a special place in all of their hearts, his whiskered face glowing with a warmth and radiance all their own as he gently breathed in the warm summer air. His sleeping body was so calm and peaceful, so much so that the present shinobi found themselves lost in his radiant visage.

That is, of course, until a certain energetic purple haired kunoichi came crashing into view with a large explosion of smoke and dust, causing the restful souls to immediately rise up in alarm. The once peacefully sleeping Naruto was now rubbing his eyes in startled confusion as he tried to remove himself from exhaustion's grip. His three protectors watched on with widened eyes as Anko announced her arrival with a precarious pose, causing them all to sweat-drop from the sight of her sadistic grin.

"Anko Mitarashi reporting for duty!!!" Once the smoke and debris had cleared, the scantly dressed woman walked over to where the four shinobi waited under the shady tree, causing Naruto to gulp in discomfort at her approach. "So, what is it that you three want with me anyway? Do you have some genin brats that you need me to torture? Or maybe we're all going on a top secret S-ranked mission together!!!!"

Iruka widened his eyes in surprise as the woman gleefully voiced her excitement for meeting them there. He looked up to his two companions with a confused expression on his face.

"You guys called her as well?" Kakashi began to sweat under his mask, having been caught out with his fingers stuck in the cookie jar.

"Eheh... well... um... er... oh yes, there was this old lady that needed me to carry her shopping bags this afternoon. I'll see you three tomorrow!" Before the scarred man could even think to protest, the masked jounin disappeared in a swirl of leaves and wind. Iruka then quickly turned to an equally uncomfortable Kurenai, who simply stepped back with a dreaded gulp.

"I... need to continue my... er... research on Naruto's... condition" she murmured, remembering not to mention the boy's bloodline. "See you two guys later!" With that, the jounin also shunshined away, leaving a sighing Iruka and a now terrified Naruto behind.

The chunin could feel the raw emotions emanating from his pupils touch, the boy having obviously been shaken by the special jounin's flashy entrance. Anko continued to babble on in excitement about what they might be doing, having not realized that two of her audience members had already long since left the scene.

"... so do you think I should take two sets of kunai with, or just kill everyone with my bare hands? Snakes are useful as well but the bodies are harder to dispose of when they're swollen up like balloons..." Anko snapped out of her aimless ramblings and looked back over to the now almost empty spot under the tree. "Hey! Where did everyone else go?" It was then that she noticed the blond haired boy quivering in Iruka's arms, his eyes filled with the dread and fear that easily gave away his wavering emotions.

"Oh... so I guess this means where not going on a top-secret S-ranked mission after all" she sighed, realizing they wouldn't send a kid for such a dangerous task. "So then... why am I here again?" Iruka just let out a deep sigh while gently removing Naruto's head from his chest and then walked up to the confused woman.

"I'm not sure what the other two wanted, but _I_ called you here because of Naruto, the boy you see standing behind me." The purple haired jounin took another look at the blue eyed boy sitting against the base of the tree, finally recognizing who he was.

"Oi! That's the..." She quickly cut herself off, knowing it was taboo to mention the Kyuubi without severe reprisal from the Hokage.

"It's alright Anko, he already knows what's sealed away inside him."

Anko scratched her head in thought, thinking back on the rumors she herd about Mizuki's defeat at the hands of the _'demon fox'_. By the way everyone described Naruto, you'd swear he was the embodiment of a terrible monster, readily tearing apart anyone he came across. She could see now that the circumstances revolving around the silver haired chunin's hospitalization had been greatly exaggerated. There was no way that this boy, who barely looked like he could stand on his own two legs at the moment, was anything close to resembling the monstrous creature described over one too many many drinks at the bar.

"So... you called me here because of this... runt?" Anko stammered, looking over to the flimsy excuse for a boy. Her mind then snapped back into their usual sadistic thoughts, thinking on all the possibilities of such an encounter. "Ooohhh! You want me to torture him don't you? Toughen him up a little eh?"

The crazy woman began to slowly inch her way over to the now panicked boy, causing Naruto to stand up and press against the surface of the tree he stood under. Her tingling fingers slowly reached out to grasp the blond into her hands while her eyes glimmered with her sadistic thoughts. Naruto began to quiver in his sandals, not wanting to be touched by someone who had openly declared she would harm him.

"I could have so much fun with you!!!"

"Stop it Anko, can't you see you're scaring him?" Iruka growled, causing the woman to halt in her tracks. "There will be no torturing of any kind as long as I have anything to say about it." Naruto flinched at the word _'torture'_, having long since learned it's meaning thanks to the lessons from his _'caretakers'_ at the orphanage. Anko watched with widened eyes as small tears began to run down the boy's face and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"What's up with him?" Iruka grabbed the woman firmly by the arm and pulled her off to the side, much to Anko's astonished surprise. No-one, not even her fellow jounin, had ever manhandled her like that before. Most people were afraid to even touch her much less anything else. Once they were a fair distance away from Naruto, the chunin began to speak again.

"Look, the reason I called you here is because I wanted to ask you a favour. You see, Naruto has had a few... run-ins with some particularly nasty characters. I'm afraid for the boy's safety, mostly because of the fact that the Kyuubi has been sealed inside of him." Anko just shrugged her shoulders in frustration, now realising what was going on.

"So you want me to scare a few people back into their places to keep them off the boy's back am I right!?" Iruka didn't even have time to nod. "Look Iruka, I'm not some baby sitter who looks after little kids that can't even hold themselves together. If you need my help with something, make sure it's worth my damned time!!!"

The furious temptress began to storm off the field, infuriated by the thought of being used as a messenger for someone else's stupid problems, albeit a very harsh messenger, but before she could get far Iruka called out to her.

"They hurt him you know..." Anko froze in her tracks, falling into silence as her heart unwillingly skipped a beat. Iruka, seeing that he had caught her attention, continued to explain.

"Every night they used to beat him at his orphanage just because of what he held inside of him. They used to torture him and degrade him, calling him a monster and filling his mind with cruel words of hatred and doubt. He's was never shown the love of another person or even allowed to come into contact with the outside world. He was just like you once were."

The woman began to clench her fists, digging her nails into the palms of her hands while Iruka continued. She knew what it was like to be seen as a monster, to be judged by actions you never had any control over. People were always to quick to judge, to ready to condemn a soul just because it made them feel better inside. Unfortunately, it was often the innocent that had to suffer the cruel reprisals of a hateful heart and those punishments were the worst kind of pain a person could ever want to be subjected to.

"I know that when your parents died, everyone just ignored you and cast you aside. I know this because it was the same thing that happened to me as well. That's the reason why you turned to the one person who you thought cared for you, that's why you devoted yourself to Orochimaru. Naruto has also been cast aside by everyone in the village like a dirty rag that has served it's purpose, only he never had anyone to turn to for comfort or protection. No-one would ever lend a helping hand, even if it was only in deceit. Naruto has lived his whole entire life alone and I just don't want to see him get hurt any more."

The purple haired jounin cast her gaze over at the blond boy standing under the nearby tree. She could see all of the pain and fear in his eyes, the same pain that her own eyes held as well, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She then realized what she had felt when visiting this field earlier that day.

"He... he was the one whose pain I felt earlier. It was this boy's tears that marked this place so heavily with their wounds." The jounin slowly turned around and walked back up to Where Iruka stood, approaching within touching distance before draping her arms precariously around the man's neck. She moved her head over to his ear and licked her lips with a newfound streak of sadistic lust.

"So... who is it that little old Anko needs to pay a visit then, hmm?"

The scarred chunin blushed uncomfortably as Anko's body pressed tightly against his own, while beads of sweat formed on the top of his brow. But despite the awkward situation, he couldn't help contain the victorious grin that now emanated off his lips. Iruka then explained his target to the intently listening Anko, while shuffling desperately against the discomfort of being so close to the potently psychotic woman. After a few minutes, Anko finally removed herself from Iruka's shoulders and strolled off the field, flicking her coat to the side as her feet rummaged through the grass.

"You owe me big time buster!!!" She yelled back again, causing both Naruto and Iruka to flinch in fear. Little did the two of them know, however, was that the woman was grinning wildly from ear to ear as she made her way back into the village. The jounin was going to have a great deal of fun tonight.

Iruka shook his head in despondence once she disappeared from view. "Was it really a good idea to ask for her help?" he thought quietly to himself. He then turned back to the blue-eyed boy who hadn't moved an inch from his position under the nearby tree. The chunin walked up to where Naruto stood and placed his arms around the boy's shoulder, immediately absorbing some of his inner fear and anxiety he held in his heart.

"Was... she really going to torture me Iruka-sensei?" The boy mumbled, quivering at the thought of being subjected to even more pain.

"No Naruto, she wasn't really going to torture you. She was just... kidding around, that's all." The chunin immediately felt the relief passing through Naruto's body before letting out a deep breath he had been holding since Anko arrived. There was a brief moment of silence before Naruto eventually spoke up again.

"I think that woman was crazy Iruka-sensei." The chunin just burst out into an uncomfortable laugh as a cold shudder flowed down his spine.

"You have no idea kiddo..."

The two then made there way off the field and back home to rest. It had been a long day for them both, especially after that _little_ encounter.

--

As the last vestiges of sunlight disappeared across the glimmering horizon, the tall scant legs of a blond haired woman slowly made their way through the halls of a certain orphanage, checking on each of the rooms to make sure her charges were all in their beds. Her deep green eyes carefully scanned the hallways in order to make sure none of the kids were hiding from their curfew, while her high-heeled shoes clattered down mercilessly on the bare wooden floors.

Ever since they had thrown Naruto out of the orphanage, her days had become far more boring than they ever were before. She no longer had the demon child to keep her thoughts occupied or to take her frustrations out on. Normally at this time of night, one of the wardens would be beating the boy within an inch of death in his room, something she often enjoyed watching herself from time to time. She would also often subject the _'little monster'_ to horrendous cruelties herself, regularly humiliating him in front of the rest of the children that resided in the building. Naruto was often forced to eat food right from the floor while everyone else watched from their tables in the mess hall, or made to crawl on his hands and knees all day long as though he were nothing more than an animal.

This would obviously gain the laughs and taunts of his fellow generation, bringing his soul down even further more than possibly imaginable. The boy had tried many times to escape the walls of his dreadful prison because of this... and that is where she had the most fun of all. The blond woman loved to watch the life leave his eyes as his efforts for freedom were promptly dashed and his hope for a better future were crushed under a stern iron heel. The punishments that followed soon afterwards were far more severe than the humiliations he received during the day.

The worst punishments, however, were handed out on his birthday, which was also the anniversary for the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha. That was the only time Naruto was allowed to see any adults from outside the orphanage, although they weren't their for the chance to adopt the boy. Instead, they made sure he appreciated the day of his birth in a way no other child would ever have the horror of suffering. Many would be punishers would take turns dishing out there ideas of justice to the boy, using sticks and bottles to ensure him a night of pain, while others drank and laughed on the sidelines of his abuse. None of them ever heeded the cries that came from Naruto's mouth, mostly because they didn't really care. They only watched with a smug grins on their faces as the _'monster'_ received his due payback.

But now... now there was no more Naruto to torture, no more fun to be had at the boy's painful expense. The woman's mind wandered on what had happened to the little monster since they had kicked him out. Perhaps he was already dead, or even better, perhaps he was being subjected to the tortures of some drunken villager. Yes, that would put a smile on her face. She wished she could see his eyes empty and his soul dampen while his body was torn apart by the merciless mobs of Konoha, in who's dangerous streets Naruto was no longer protected by the Hokage's watchful gaze. Her sick wandering thoughts, however, were soon shattered when a heavy knock was heard coming from the front entrance.

"Who could be here at this time of the night?" The woman slowly made her way to the entrance and opened the door, revealing the sight of a purple haired woman grinning sadistically in the darkened night sky. Anko waved a kunai in her left hand while her right leaned against the frame of the doorway.

"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over. If you want to see the children, you'll have to come back tomorrow morning." Anko placed her foot in the door before it promptly slammed in her face, forcing it open once again.

"Oh.. I'm not here to see the little kiddies, I just wanted to chat, that's all." The blond woman took a deep gulp of fear as the sadistic temptress that was Anko slowly entered the room, licking her lips in anticipation for the night's entertainment. Her eyes darkened with the malice and frustration of a cornered tigress protecting her cubs, promising the embrace of pain and suffering that would soon follow.

--

The following day saw Naruto once again rummaging through the muddy track field that the Academy often used for training, once again running the same obstacle course he had partaken in the previous day. Only this time, the boy seemed to be losing his edge against his would-be competitors. Iruka watched on with a heavy heart as the boy tripped over and over again, falling into the mud and leaves without fail. He stumbled numerous times on the log balancing section and his movements weren't half as fast as they were the previous day. The scarred chunin suspected that their afternoon training may have tired Naruto out, but his heart was telling him that wasn't the reason behind the boy's apparent poor performance. No-doubt Naruto was scarred of outdoing his fellow classmates and invoking their cruelty because of his own hard earned success.

Once everyone had run their due course on the tracks, they were once again making their way to the academy change rooms to clean themselves off again. Naruto hid his eyes in shame, trying to avoid the victorious stares of the class bullies that looked down on him. The boy slouched his muddy shoulders as he walked down the hallway, his tears well hidden by the rings of dirt flowing around his whiskered face. Iruka noticed the boy's severely depressed expression and moved his hand to comfort him, but Naruto just pulled away much to the chunin's surprise. The boy didn't want to be touched right now. He didn't feel like he deserved to be comforted or pitied. He had willingly failed because of his own fears and weaknesses, there were no excuses in Naruto's mind for what he did.

After everyone had gotten dressed in clean clothes, they made there way back to class to get their lunches before heading out for their break. Naruto just stayed at his desk while everyone else made their way outside. He didn't want to be subjected to the cruelty of the other kids. Even though he hadn't beaten their times, he knew the bullies would rub his failure in his face and drag his precious dreams through the mud with their cruel words and hateful taunts. Iruka noticed the boy's unmoving expression and made his way up to Naruto's desk once everyone had gone. He placed his arm on the boy's shoulder and crouched down beside him.

"Hey kiddo, what happened out there today? I now you can do better than what you showed everyone." Naruto just pulled his shoulder away from Iruka's hand.

"I'm just a failure Iruka-sensei, I always have been and I always will be. Even when I do my very best, I only ever get punished for it. What's the point of even trying anymore if no-one will ever accept me anyway?" Iruka noticed the golden glow in Naruto's eyes, it was a shade that told him just how severe the boy's feelings and emotions were at that moment.

"Look Naruto, there will always be those who are cruel and hateful towards others just to make themselves feel better, but you can't let them get you down or allow them to take away your dreams."

"But Iruka-sensei, no-one believes in me. To them, I'm nothing but a nuisance who always messes up all the time." Iruka place his hand on the boy's chin, turning his head until he gained Naruto's golden eyes.

"I believe in you..." The boy flinched at the sound of Iruka's words but he knew they were true, he could see it in the man's gaze.

"Kurenai and Kakashi believe in you as well, you wouldn't want to let them down would you?" The boy slowly shook his head from side to side while tears of guilt formed in his eyes. He felt bad about allowing himself to fall behind, it was as though he were throwing away all the hard work and kindness of those who cared for him. It was an insult to their efforts to help him grow stronger.

"I'm sorry Iruka-sensei, I was just..."

"I know Naruto, you were just scared of what the others might do to you." The scarred chunin pulled the boy into a hug and this time Naruto allowed himself to be touched. "Just promise me you won't ever allow yourself to do that again, it's not fair to watch you fall behind because of what others think. You're better than that, no matter how much someone may try to make you fell otherwise." Naruto nodded his head on Iruka's shoulder.

"I promise Iruka-sensei."

"Good, now why don't you go outside and have some fun?" Naruto pulled away from his sensei and frowned. He didn't want to go outside alone, where there were those that could hurt him.

"Iruka-sensei... is it alright if I stay in here with you for now?"

Iruka was about to protest, but he could see the fear in Naruto's eyes. He was torn between Kurenai's advise and the raw emotions he felt coming from the boy's touch, but before he could say anything a voice called from the doorway to the classroom.

"Hey Naruto!" Both Iruka and Naruto looked down to see the dark haired boy known as Lee standing just outside the class, waving them down with a massive grin on his face. "Do you want to come outside with me?! I could use the company!" The blond boy felt his heart welling up inside, while Iruka just cocked is eyebrow in surprise. No-one had ever willingly asked Naruto to join them for break before.

Naruto looked back at his sensei as if to ask his approval. The man reluctantly nodded his head and then watched as the blond unpacked his lunch and walked down to the doorway and outside the class. The two boys then disappeared from view in each other's company, Naruto having a smile on his face for the first time that entire day.

"Kami, when did this happen?" Iruka mumbled, lost in his own confusion.

Naruto and Lee made their way over to the nearby swings outside and sat quietly on their wooden frames. The two boy's just swayed back and forth in silence, basking in one another's company while the warm sunlight touched gently against their faces. An eternity seemed to pass before either of them even spoke.

"Lee..." The dark haired boy turned to face Naruto as he called out his name. "Why do you want to hang out with me?" Lee couldn't quite understand what Naruto was trying to ask. "I mean... no-one ever wants to be anywhere near me and those who do normally just want to beat me up... so why?" Lee just looked down at the ground in thought, trying to find the words to answer.

"I... don't know. I guess I just... like being around you. Besides, someone has to watch out for you. It's not fair for you to fend for yourself all the time" Naruto choked at the sound of the boy's words, allowing a gentle smile to fall on his whiskered face. It wasn't often someone wanted to be with him just because of who he was, to have someone who would willingly protect him from harm. Is this what a real friend was?

Lee allowed a small grin of his own when he saw the boy's face immediately light up. It was painfully obvious that Naruto had never had a friend before now and he could see the boy desperately needed one. For the first time in his entire life, Lee felt needed by someone, another boy that was weaker than him and who relied on his protection. It was the first time he felt _truly_ strong and that his strength was now worth something really important.

Naruto opened his lunch box and pulled out a small rice ball. The boy then broke it in half, trying desperately not to let any of it fall to the ground, and handed one piece to Lee while sporting a massive grin on his face. Lee smiled back and took the offer with grateful eyes.

"Thanks Naruto!" The blond just giggled in approval while he chewed on his own piece food, causing Lee to flash a massive grin of his own, blinding Naruto as the sun sparkled off of his super white teeth. The two boys just laughed in one another's company, becoming completely lost in the moment that saw smiles on both of their faces. It was the first time Naruto felt happy at the academy.

Iruka watched from the doorway to the academy and allowed himself to grin as well. It seemed Naruto had finally found one of the most precious commodities one can acquire in life. He had found a true friend.

--

Once school had finished for the day, both Iruka and Naruto made their way to the training ground again, meeting an impatient Kurenai on the open grassy field. Kakashi was late again this time, however, and they ended up waiting patiently for the masked jounin's arrival. After he appeared in a puff of white smoke, he received a massive knock on his head from the furious Kurenai, causing a certani young blond boy to chuckle under his breath. After a few more rants from the red-eyed jounin and another poor excuse from Kakashi, they then finally proceeded to continue with their training, Naruto once again splitting himself into three copies and dividing amongst his teachers.

About an hour had passed while their exercises continued relatively unabated. Kakashi was finally beginning to make some significant ground on Naruto's doujutsu development. The boy was even able to hold his enhanced gaze for a few seconds before it finally faded out again, prompting a well earned praise from the masked jounin that taught him. Kurenai had the boy water walking again, only this time Naruto was trying to do it without any assistance. Although he was still very wobbly on his feet, he managed a few steps at a time before eventually stumbling. The dark haired jounin would quickly catch him before he fell in the water and then had him try it again.

Iruka's reading was taking the longest time to catch on, although that was to be expected. After all, you can't rush the process of learning a written language no matter how enthusiastic or determined your student is. This was just one of those things Naruto would have to be patient with. But Naruto didn't seem to mind sitting with his sensei underneath the protective shade of the tree, allowing the gentle breeze to brush against his face. The blond boy looked over to his shirtless counterpart, walking mid-river in the blazing sunlight.

"That's gonna hit me real bad later on" he sighed, cringing at the prospect of heavy sunburn.

After a few more minutes of training thereafter, a large explosion filled in the centre of the field, causing everyone to jump in surprise. Naruto yelped in panic under Iruka's arm, causing the book he held to go sailing through the air before landing back on the chunin's head. The Naruto that was training on the river's surface stumbled from the shock and fell into the stream, forcing Kurenai to jump in after him before he drowned. The jounin managed to grab a hold of the boy's sinking body and quickly rushed him to the surface before dragging him to the safety of the shore. Even if it was only a shadow clone, she didn't want the terrible memories of drowning making there way back to the originals mind.

Everyone quickly turned and looked on with bated breaths as the smoke began to clear, once again revealing the purple haired jounin in _another_ precarious pose, sporting a massive victorious grin on her face. There was a brief moment of silence as her audience watched and waited for her to move.

**"I, Anko Mitarashi have come to report that my mission was a complete success!!!**"

As the crazy jounin finished her sentence, a large stream of fireworks erupted out of the ground around her, shooting streams of burning flames up into the air. After a short display of colour and light, one large final rocket shot up into the sky and exploded into a massive shape, forming the number _'one'_ with a big _'thumbs up' _saluting next to it. The stunned shinobi could only watch on in disbelief as the entire scene took place, each thinking a different thing at the same time.

_Naruto/s: "Wow! That looks so cool! I wanna see more!"_

_Kakashi: "And I thought I was eccentric. Does she do this after every mission? Hey! What mission is she talking about?"_

_Kurenai: "Now I'm completely soaked! When I get my hands on her..."_

_Iruka: "Did she have those fireworks hidden in the ground the whole day? Sheesh, talk about being overly prepared!"_

"Alright now ladies and gentlemen..." she continued, shaking them from there thoughts. "...There's no need to praise me all at once. I'm just doing my job after all." The woman then giggled into her hands. "Alright then, go ahead and praise me if you must!" The Naruto sitting next to Iruka just shook his head from side to side.

"Wow, she really is crazy isn't she?" Unfortunately for this young boy, Anko heard exactly what he said.

"Why you little brat!!! When I get my hands on you..." Before Anko could rush over to grab a panic stricken Naruto, Kakashi and Kurenai appeared at her sides and halted her advance. Touching the boy in her current state would not be good for Naruto and the last thing they wanted was another hospitalized shinobi.

"Just calm down Anko" Kakashi murmured, trying to hold the furious storm from breaking loose. "He was just kidding, you know how kids are." Anko finally allowed herself to relax and then huffed over to a nearby patch of grass.

She promptly sat down on its soft green surface and pulled out a box of dango from her _unknown_ hiding place. The other's then reluctantly continued on with their training once more, although Naruto now felt more uncomfortable in the woman's watchful gaze. Iruka turned to the original Naruto sitting beside him and handed him the book they were reading.

"Just carry on reading for a few minutes, I just need to speak to the _crazy_ woman quickly." Naruto pouted at the thought of being left alone, but then smirked at the mention of the word 'crazy'. He then watched as Iruka approached the said joinin and sat down quietly beside her.

"So, how did it go last night?" he mumbled, carefully probing the woman's face for any clues as to her emotions. Anko just allowed herself a crazy grin, immediately confirming her approving results.

"Lets just say that those losers at the orphanage won't be able to sit for a long time to come. I bet they'll have nightmares for months after what I did to them, after all, there are some places that snakes just weren't meant to go."

Iruka cringed at the sound of the woman's words. He didn't even want to think about what she just described and decided it was best left alone. The two of them just sat in silence for another moment before Anko spoke again.

"So have any more targets for me? I have to say that was pretty fun!" It was almost as thought the woman were begging for another opportunity to right some wrongs done to Naruto, who shared a fate somewhat similar to hers. Perhaps she was simply trying to relieve some of the built up tensions from the memories of her own awful past.

"Not right now, but of anything comes up I'll be sure to let you know." Anko just grinned in approval, but her expression was lost soon afterwards.

"Iruka..." The chunin looked over to the woman with widened eyes. Her voice was a lot softer than before. It was almost... normal. "... is it alright if I watch you guys train in the afternoons?" Iruka was slightly taken aback by the unusual request, but had a feeling Naruto had something to do with it.

"Why are you so interested in watching Naruto train? I thought you didn't like kids." Anko's eyes wandered over to the blue-eyed boy sitting under the nearby tree. She could still see the pain that haunted his memories as easily as one could see daylight.

"Because... he has the same eyes as me, eyes that hold all the pain of his tortured past. I want to see what happens to him and how he grows from now on... hell, maybe I can even help him out myself eventually." The scarred man scratched his head in thought. He didn't know if he could trust Anko with Naruto's secret bloodline, but something told him the woman was being sincere in her request. It was the first time he had seen this side of her, a side that felt more genuin than her usual maniacal streak.

"Alright Anko, but if you try to do anything to harm him..."

"Ooohhh, what's this?! Is '_Iruka-sensei'_ becoming feisty with me!?!?! I guess I have been a bad girl!!!!" Anko leapt towards the now sweating chunin, shooting out her arms with a sadistic grin returning her face. Iruka managed to jump out of the way just in time to avoid her grasp and quickly ran back over to where Naruto sat, landing heavily next to the now curious boy with a pant. They both looked each other in the eyes while Iruka sweat dropped.

"You're definitely right kiddo, she _**is**_ crazy." The two of them just laughed at the man's untimely joke, causing the purple haired temptress to pop a blood vessel on her head.

**"I heard that!!!"**

--

Well there it is. I feel pretty satisfied about this chapter. I'm not sure why but it just feels right to me.  
I hope you all enjoyed it! :)


	14. Chapter 14 A Battle for Survival

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

This is another long chapter for you all! Naruto finally gains a hold on his doujutsu and there's action too!!!

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 14 - A Battle for Survival**

The glistening rays of the early afternoon sun wisped down to gently caress the whiskered face of a young boy as he and his sensei slowly made there way off the academy grounds. Naruto tucked himself tightly under Iruka's arm, basking in the warmth and comfort of the chunin's protective hold while his memories wandered back onto the previous few days. It had been two weeks since Naruto had started his newly formed training program that Kurenai had introduced to them and things were finally starting to look up for the boy. Naruto had now completely mastered the tree climbing exercise that Kurenai was training him with and the water walking exercise was going much better as well. The red-eyed jounin would swell with pride as she watched the boy walk across the stream without her assistance. Although he was still a bit wobbly from time to time, things had progressed far better than the jounin could have ever hoped.

Anko would often arrive at the training field from time to time, allowing herself to watch as Naruto went through his different exercises, although she couldn't always make it. Iruka had since explained to her the circumstances of Naruto's life at the orphanage and how he eventually came into the chunin's care. The purple haired jounin almost went on a killing spree when she heard how Nartuo was beaten and tortured all in the name of something he had no control over. She just couldn't stand the type of unjustified indifference that made Naruto's life a living hell, the same treatment that she herself had once been subjected to as well, and she now found herself at growing odds with the rest of the village and her fellow shinobi.

Naruto's reading skills had also made huge leaps forward and the boy was now able to make out most smaller words without too much difficulty. He still struggled to piece sentences together to make meaning of the words but Iruka knew that Naruto felt proud of his achievements so far. The two of them would always read together at night, laying in the boy's bed with a steaming cup of warm milk firmly in hand. Naruto would always snuggle up against his sensei's side while the man explained each sentence, allowing himself to relish in the love and understanding of the one person that made him feel like he was a part of a family. Naruto hadn't had any nightmares since the last one where he almost drowned and had now come to the conclusion that they only occurred when he was emotionally distressed or worked up.

The boy's doujutsu training was probably the one area that Naruto had made the most significant progress of all, much to the growing delight of all three of his teachers. Kakashi had finally broken through the boy's fears of hurting those around him, having convinced Naruto that the only way to protect himself and others was by learning how to control his abilities. Since then, Naruto had learned to activate his doujutsu at will, although he could only hold it active for a few minutes at a time before fatigue started to overwhelm him. The masked jounin would watch on with fascination as Naruto took in his surroundings with his golden eyes, watching as the boy's expression fell into a look of wonderment. Kakashi would often find himself wondering what exactly Naruto could see through those golden eyes of his.

Of course, not everything was all happiness and fun in Naruto's life. His days at the academy were growing even harder and harder as time went on and it was now getting to the point where he no longer felt safe within its walls. Although he would no longer allow himself to fall behind for the sake of those around him, Naruto now found himself back on the target list of his class bullies. His efforts were often rewarded with cruel glares and hateful words that threatened to tear his soul apart. The boy would also often find himself cornered while walking back to class after breaks, made to endure the cruelty of his class bullies and their fists. The other students would just watch as he was beaten in the hallways, none of them making a move to help him at all.

Lee noticed his plight during one such incident and quickly came to Naruto's rescue, warding off his assailants and then trying to help the battered boy to his feat. Naruto just shrugged away when his friend tried to touch him and Lee was forced to watch while the boy picked himself up alone. The dark haired boy helped him get cleaned up in a nearby bathroom, rubbing off the ink marks depicting the cruel words that were scribbled on his face with gentle care and wiping the tears from Naruto's eyes. Lee was always careful not to physically touch the boy with his hands and instead used a soft towel to wash away his pain and sorrow.

The dark haired boy had since then vowed to walk Naruto back to class himself in order to avoid any further incidents. The blond knew that the only reason he wasn't beaten within an inch of his life every single break time was because of the efforts of his newly found best friend. Lee would always keep him company and watch over him carefully in the way that a big brother would look after a sibling. Naruto found himself depending on the boy's protection even more than ever before and had since grown to admire Lee as a pillar of strength and determination. Lee, however, couldn't understand why anyone would pick on someone much smaller than themselves and began to realize why Naruto was always so afraid of being hurt all the time.

Now Naruto found himself once again making his way back to the same green field he trained in every afternoon, walking slowly through the dusty path beneath him with Iruka at his side. He desperately tried to ease back the uncomfortable emotions that ate away at his soul. He couldn't allow the chunin beside him to know how much pain he was really in. They were almost out of view of the academy when a voice called out from behind them, instantly grabbing their attention.

Hey Naruto!!!

Naruto shot around in an instant. recognizing the heart warming cheer coming from the voice of his only friend. Naruto allowed his whiskered face to fill with a massive smile at the boy's approach, causing Iruka to flinch at the sudden burst of emotions coming from his student.

"Lee!!!" Lee grinned as he heard Naruto call out his name and landed in front of the two with a panted breath, he had obviously been running to catch up with them. Iruka smiled as he watched the to fiddle uncomfortably in each others presence, it was almost as though Naruto wanted to hug the boy, but was still pausing in fear of the repercussions of touching someone else. Lee looked just as confused, but quickly brushed it aside and scratched the back of his head.

"I... um... well... was wondering if you were doing anything this afternoon. You know, maybe we could hang out for a while." Naruto felt his heart warm at the boy's suggestion, but quickly fell into a frown soon afterwards.

Lee, I'm sorry, I really wish I could but I have to train this afternoon. Maybe some other time?" Lee immediately lost the fire in his eyes and slouched in disappointment. He was really hoping o spend more time with his 'little brother' but understood why Naruto was trying to get stronger. He had often talked with the boy about his training and Naruto would often blabber on about his teachers and their strange exercises. He was about to turn to go home again when another idea came to mind.

"Maybe I can come and watch you train then. I promise i won't get in the way!" Naruto looked up to his sensei with pleading eyes, eyes that begged the man for his approval, but Iruka's face fell into a stern look of disapproval.

"Naruto, you know why I can't allow that, it's simply just too dangerous. If anyone..."

"He already knows about my doujutsu" Naruto cut the man off. Iruka felt his jaw drop at the sound of Naruto's words.

"How did he find out? And H... how long as he known about it?" Naruto scratched the back of his head in discomfort, trying to find the right words to describe his delecate sittuation. Lee noticed the growing tension on his friends face and decided to step in instead.

"Naruto was being chased by bullies at school and helped him out of trouble. When everyone else had left, I noticed his eyes turning gold. No-one else saw it and I haven't mentioned a word of it to anyone, I promise!" Iruka looked at the dark haired boy grateful eyes, silently thanking him for his intervention on the matter. He then looked over at Naruto with a more disappointed expression.

"Naruto, if you were having problems with bullies, you should have let me know about it. You know how worried I get when you keep secrets from me don't you? How am I supposed to protect you when you won't tell me what's going on any more?" Naruto bowed his head in shame, feeling guilty about hiding the truth from the scarred man.

"I'm sorry Iruka-sensei, I just didn't want you to get to worried about me." Naruto began to tear at the eyes before he continued to speak. "I just didn't want to cause too much trouble for you because... because..."

"Because you thought I'd leave you..." Iruka finished him off. Naruto just shrugged and slowly nodded his shoulders. The scarred chunin knelt down in front of him and pulled the boy into a hug. "Listen Naruto, I'd never abandon you, no matter what happens." Iruka understood what the boy was thinking. Naruto had been kicked out of the orphanage as soon as he became too much trouble for them and now he was afraid of being abandoned again for the same reason, so instead he opted to withdraw himself to make things easier. Iruka stood to his feet again and looked over to where Lee stood. The boy was now frowning in discomfort at seeing Naruto's painful emotions.

"Alright then Lee, I'll allow you to come and watch Naruto's training, but only if you promise not to mention anything you see there." Lee immediately shot back into a grin once more, blinding his two counterparts with the shining white glow of his spotless dentals.

I swear on my life as Naruto's friend that I will not tell a soul anything about what I see, that is a promise!!!"

Naruto's hard felt emotions quickly fell away as he watched the strange and humorous antics of his friend. He then allowed an approving smile to grace his features once more, while at the same time relieving Iruka's own built up tension. The three of them then continued to make there way to the secluded training field, Iruka watching from behind while the two boy's walked in each other's company up front. It was unusual for the chunin to walk without Naruto clinging to his side like an extra limb. He could see that Lee was the kind of friend that made the boy feel more comfortable and safe.

--

Kakashi Hatake was slowly making his way through the village centre and towards the training field where everyone was waiting, holding a 'Make Out Paradise' book firmly in his hand as he walked. He was trying to make good time today, knowing that Kurenai would thwart him if he was late again. As the masked jounin shuffled through the dusty streets, past the village stores and apartment buildings, a gruff voice called out to him from one of the nearby side markets. Kakashi looked up to see a very tired Ibiki waving him down.

"Hey Kakashi, long time no see." The jounin waved in return and walked up to the scarred man who looked like he hadn't slept in days, no doubt due to a long standing interrogation. Perhaps he was still trying to get information out of the '_traitor'_ Kakashi had supplied him with a few days before.

"So, how did it go with that special delivery I brought you the other day?" Kakashi enquired, curious to hear the fate of the man that tried to hurt Naruto in the alleyway. Ibiki just sighed in defeat, rubbing at the base of his temple with his fingers.

"You mean the one you told us was selling Konoha's secrets to enemy ninja factions? Well I've tried just about every method of extraction I could think of, but the man still swears he has no idea what we're going on about. He's one persistent bugger, in fact, i've rarely come across such a good liar in my life before. I've even gone so far as to using the _'rubber glove'_ on him."

The masked jounin shuddered at the mention of the said torture, it wasn't very often that someone had earned the usage of the _'rubber glove'_. Most people would have either spilled their guts, along with their deepest darkest secrets, by then or had already keeled over from extensive psychological trauma. Ibiki noticed the sly look on Kakashi's mostly covered face and began to grow concerned for the mental well-being of his fellow jounin.

"Are you alright Kakashi? You look a little... well... _disturbing _is all I can say." Kakashi just snickered under his mask. Of course, he would eventually leak information suggesting the man's innocence in the entire matter, but not before the drunkard received his just rewards for the psychological damage he caused a certain young blond.

"I'm perfectly fine Ibiki, in fact I couldn't be better if I tried. Now, tell me everything that's happened so far. Every single last detail..."

--

Naruto, Lee and Iruka eventually found themselves stumbling on the green pastures that marked the sight of their training field. The boy had grown quite used to the location by now. It was the one place where he felt most comfortable other than his new home. There were no prying eyes or hateful whispers from the villagers or school bullies, only the love and protection of his teachers. Now, his new friend would be there with him as well. The three of them caught sight of a waiting Kurenai and Anko, both of whom seemed to be in a heated debate of some sort. The purple haired jounin caught sight of their untimely approach and waved them down with a sadistic grin on her face, causing Naruto to flinch in discomfort. The boy moved his head closer to his friend and whispered in Lee's ear.

"Just be careful, she's the crazy one I've been telling you about. Just don't look her directly in the eyes or she may use you for target practice."

Lee took a deep gulp of dread, remembering what Naruto had told him about his own previous discrepancies with the said woman. The thought of being used as a human pin cushion didn't sit well with the dark haired boy at all. Anko rushed up towards the three of them with a giddy smile, shooting past the now panicked boy's before throwing her arms around a surprised Iruka.

"Now he'll tell us Ku-chan, then you'll see that he likes me better than you after all." Iruka began to blush heavily as the woman pressed herself up even tighter against the chunin's body, causing Naruto to gag in disgust while Lee began to sweat drop. "Isn't that right Iruka-sensei?" Anko continued. Iruka just looked over to the equally heavily blushing and clearly furious Kurenai.

"W... what's going on here?" He stammered, trying desperately to free himself from the crazy woman's grasp.

"Well Ku-chan and I have been arguing about which one of us you've fallen head over heals for. It's obviously me, but she doesn't seem to understand that." Kurenai's face grew even redder than before as Iruka looked at her with a curious expression on his face. Anko just basked in the discomfort she had caused them both, relishing in her own ability to create such an agonizing torture without hardly trying.

"I've said nothing of the sort Anko!!!" Kurenai yelped back, almost squeaking as she spoke.

"Sure, whatever you say honey, but your face seems to severely disagree. You should really take the time to look in the mirror." Before it could go any further, Kakashi shunshined into view, immediately diverting everyone's attention to his presence. The masked jounin caught sight of the awkward scene playing out in front of him and found himself sweat dropping in discomfort.

"M... maybe I should come back later. You guys seem to be a bit busy at the moment." Kurenai quickly grabbed the man's arm before he disappeared again and yanked him to within striking distance, before slamming her fist into his head.

"You aren't going anywhere buster!!! Just what the hell took you so long to get here anyway!?!" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, trying desperately to relieve the newly formed lump.

"Well, I was talking to Ibiki about one of his..."

"Oh shut it!" Kurenai cut him off. "I'm tired of your lame excuses."

"But it's really the truth" Kakashi tried to answer, but a quick glare quickly cut him off. There was just no winning for the poor man. In reality, Kurenai was actually quite relieved that the masked jounin showed up when he did. The... situation was beginning to grow rather uncomfortable for the others present. Anko, seeing that her opportunity to cause mayhem had now been flushed, released her _death-grip_ on a heavily sweating Iruka and walked over to a nearby patch of grass. She then promptly pulled out a box of dango and prepared herself for the training.

Iruka tried to avoid the dangerous glares from both Naruto and Kurenai (the former of which could potentially kill you), while Kakashi and Lee slowly backed away from the amount of killing intent radiating from a certain red-eyed woman.

"Um... alright then. Naruto if you don't mind, I'd like to carry on with your doujutsu training." The said boy turned his eyes from his sensei and refocused them on Kakashi. He then walked over to where the man stood and prepared for the day's lesson.

"Aren't we going to summon my shadow clones Kakashi-sama?"

"No, not today." Kakashi replied. "I want you to try and activate your doujutsu without your clones and see how long it lasts. When you have your chakra split into three, it reduces your efficiency, plus I also want Kurenai and Iruka to observe the results of your training." Naruto nodded his head in understanding and then readied himself.

"Good, now lets get started shall we?"

Kurenai and Iruka watched on with anxiety as they waited for the boy to comply, even Lee seemed to immediately divert his interest towards the said boy. Naruto focussed his gaze on his surroundings, trying to tap into the same feelings and emotions he always experienced when activating his bloodline. His eyes began to shimmer precariously in the warm soft sunlight, before eventually turning into pure gold. He was careful not to look into another person's eyes, lest he experiences another traumatic event like the one he had with Kakashi a few days earlier. Instead, Naruto focussed on his surroundings, observing the painted canvas of colour and light that swept across his gaze.

"As you can see..." Kakashi began, turning to his amazed audience. "... we've managed to get him to activate his doujutsu at will, although I still don't know what he sees when he's looking through those eyes."

Iruka placed his hand on his student's shoulder, causing Naruto to flinch in surprise at his touch. The boy calmed down soon afterwards when he realized who it was and turned his gaze to his sensei. Iruka fell into a trance when he looked at the boy's golden orbs, forcing Naruto to blush in discomfort. The red of his face contrasted sharply against the bright colours of his hair and eyes.

"W... what's wrong Iruka-sensei?" Iruka just gaped at the beauty he saw in Naruto's eyes. He had never really looked directly into them before and he now found himself lost in their enrapturing trance. Iruka could feel a mixture of emotions coming from Narutos touch as their eyes locked into one another. The boy began to frown in discomfort soon afterwards and the chunin could feel his emotions starting to deteriorate. The scarred man then quickly turned his eyes away from Naruto's gaze, causing the boy's feelings to quickly return to normal.

"Sorry Naruto, I should be more careful." Whatever the boy began to see in him, it was obviously negative. The last thing he wanted was for Naruto to witness was the death of his parents at the hands of the Kyuubi. That wouldn't do well for the boy's already low self worth and self degrading mentality.

"Alright then Naruto let's attempt something else..." Naruto turned his attention to Kakashi once more, his eyes still blazing with the golden tinge that reflected the world around him. "I want you to try and suppress your vision and block out everything you see that's different." Naruto complied and tried to forcefully block out the lights and colours of the world around him. He and Kakashi had practiced this many times during the past two weeks in order for him to control the extent of his vision. The jounin had explained to him that too much information can easily overwhelm someone's mind, especially someone so young, so Naruto had to learn to control what he saw.

The boy cringed in discomfort as painful tears began to sting in his eyes, caused by the force of pushing away his vision. Lee began to grow concerned about his friend, but a reassuring hand from Iruka kept the boy from intervening. After a few moments of agony, the colours around Naruto began to fade away, slowly being replaced once again by the normal light of the sun reflecting of the rich green grass. Kakashi noticed the change in Naruto's expression, but noticed that his eyes were still gold in colour.

"I did it Kakashi-sama. I can't see the colours any more." Kakashi gave an approving nod.

"Good, now try and look me or Iruka in the eyes again." Naruto froze at first, not wanting to witness the same painful visions he had seen before, but complied soon afterwards. He looked into the masked jounin's eye with a heavy gulp, but this time there was no pain. There were no awful memories or nightmares, just another focused eye staring back at him. Kakashi took a deep sigh of relief, realizing that their training had borne some fruit after all. As long as Naruto could keep control of his emotions, he should be able to control his vision as well and protect himself and others from harm.

"That's very good Naruto. You've done very well. Now I want you to try and focus on that tree and see if you can... well... look into it." The boy turned to the said tree and then focussed his vision again, trying to find the same energy he saw before, only this time in a more focussed area. Eventually, a warm glow began to radiate in the centre of the tree, causing Naruto to smile victoriously.

"I did it!!! It's working!!! Naruto quickly deactivated his doujutsu again turned to Iruka, before jumping into the chunin's arms. "It's working Iruka-sensei, now my eyes won't hurt people anymore." The man almost yelped when he felt the emotions running from the boy. The fact that Naruto was so happy about not having to hurt others anymore was quite surprising. The boy didn't care what powers his eyes granted him, he only cared that he wouldn't accidently cause someone else pain again. Naruto pulled out of his sensei's arms and then ran over to Kurenai, who was also smiling in approval of his achievement. The boy then grabbed her hands, causing the jounin to kneel down in front of him.

"Now... now I won't ever hurt you again Kurenai-sensei, I promise!!!" Kurenai could see the tears forming in Naruto's eyes, tears that still held some guilt over the incident that occurred between the two of them. Naruto stepped forward and hugged the woman with all of his strength while the remorseful water from his eyes ran onto her shoulders. "I'll never hurt anyone like that again..." he continued to sob.

Kurenai rubbed his back with her hand, trying to ease the overwhelming emotions she felt. "Naruto, I know you'd never hurt me willingly, it was my fault that happened in the first place, but you may need those powers to protect your friends." Naruto pulled out of the hug and looked the woman in the eyes.

"But, I don't want anyone to feel the same thing I felt. I don't like it when people get hurt like that."

"I know Naruto, but sometimes someone will try to hurt those who are precious to you. You'll have to protect them as well you know." Naruto nodded his head in understanding and then turned to face the dark haired boy behind him. He saw the look of concern etched onto Lee's face and smiled through his tears.

"I think I understand what you mean."

"Alright!!! Enough mushy stuff already!!!!" Everyone jumped in surprise as Anko voiced her thoughts, jumping from her seat in the grass with flames in her eyes. "Come on! Lets see some action over here. I wanna see what those eyes can do in a real battle!!!"

The purple haired jounin quickly pulled some shuriken out of her holsters, causing Naruto to step back and gulp in panic, he didn't want another target practice session again. Iruka and Kurenai were about to intervene, but before any of them could even move a kunai landed in the middle of the field between them. The present shinobi, as well as the two young boy's, looked at the shiny piece of metal with curious stared. It was then that they caught sight of the explosive tag attached firmly to its side.

**"Everyone move now!!!" **

Naruto turned around on his heels to run away, but it was already too late. A blast immediately sounded off and the ensuing shock wave sent the boy flying off of his feet and hurtling through the air. He hit the floor soon afterwards with a heavy crash, knocking the air right out of his lungs as his ribs cracked from the shock. Naruto tried to pick himself up off the ground as his vision swam precariously, blurring the world around him. There was so much smoke and debris that he couldn't even tell the sky from the ground.

"Naruto!!!" The boy turned to his side to see Lee running towards him, sporting a panicked look on his face. "Watch out!!!" Naruto turned again just in time to catch sight off an unknown figure making its way towards him.

"Die you stupid monster!!!" The boy quickly jumped out of the way as the man lashed out with a kunai in hand, landing on the side of the nearby tree.

"Nggghhh!!!" Naruto grasped at the side of his chest as the excruciating pain of his injuries shot through his body, while still trying to hold his grip on the tree's surface. His assailant ran up to it's base and snickered at the sight of the boy's pain.

"So, it seems you've learned a few tricks, but that won't save you from us." The man ran up the side of the tree to where Naruto was standing, prompting the boy to flee up its surface as fast as he could muster. reverberating all around them were the sights and sounds of clashing weapons and jutsu. Kakashi, kurenai and Iruka were all engaging with their unknown assailants while Anko sailed through the battlefield with deftly enthusiasm. She had a smug grin on her face and a bloodied kunai planted firmly in her hand.

"Ooohhh!!! I knew it was a good idea to hang with you guys!!!"

Her grin quickly fell away when she caught sight of a certain blond being chased through the trees by another unknown shinobi. It then became painfully obvious who the target of their attack was.

"They're after Naruto!!!" She shouted, causing her companions to look back in concern.

Anko then quickly jumped from the grass and landed on one of the tree's branches. She caught sight of Naruto losing his grip on the tree's surface and falling a short distance, before grabbing one of the outstretched branches on his way down. The jounin quickly raced over to his position and jumped through the air towards him, arriving just before the boy's assailant could land an attack on his target. Anko caught Naruto in her arms as she sailed past him and the two came crashing into the ground with a heavy thud, the purple haired jounin receiving most of the blow in order to protect Naruto from the fall.

"Aghghhhh!!! You... owe me big time... kiddo!!!" The jounin then jumped to her feat again, not recognizing the emotions she had just felt coming from Naruto's touch, and prepared for another incoming attack. The jounin that had been chasing the boy jumped out of the tree and clashed his kunai against Anko's own.

"Figures that one monster would try to protect another!" The man snickered, causing Anko's blood to boil. The sadistic woman just snarled and pushed the assailant back away from his prey, creating some distance to allow Naruto to escape.

"Don't just stand there you little runt!!! Get your ass moving out of here!!!" Naruto immediately jumped up to his feet and complied, looked around the field for an opening to escape. Kakashi and Kurenai were still currently engaging two other Shinobi while Iruka battled further away.

"Why... why does this always happen?" He mumbled to himself, watching as his protectors traded blows in an effort to keep him from harm. "I don't want anyone to get hurt for me." Naruto ran into the midst of the fight while tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Please stop, just take me and leave them alone!!!" The boy didn't see the explosive kunai making it's way to his position. Lee, who had been trying to get to his friend the entire battle, noticed the developing sittuation and ran over to where the boy stood.

"Naruto, stop!!!" He called out, catching the boy's attention. Naruto halted in his tracks and looked up to see the burning projectile making it's way towards him. He quickly shielded his face with his arms as the blast went off, picking him up off his feat once again and sending him flying towards the river. Naruto managed to land on it's surface with his feat, sliding across the water with a spray of mist lifting into the air around him. Lee looked on with amazed eyes as he saw the boy defy the laws of nature as he knew it.

"H... how did he do that?" Before Lee could even think about what was happening, the shinobi that had attacked Naruto jumped near the rivers edge and formed some seals in his hand.

"Katon! Dragon Fire Jutsu!!" The man sent a massive jet of flames hurtling towards the still recovering boy, picking up a gust of steam as the extreme heat touched against the water's surface. Naruto looked up just in time to see the massive inferno heading towards him.

"I guess this is it then. Maybe if they kill me now, they'll leave the others alone." Naruto was about to close his eyes in preparation for his demise when Kakashi suddenly landed in front of him.

"Suiton!!! Water Dragon Jutsu!!" A massive stream of water immediately sprang from around Kakashi's feat and collected in front of the masked jounin. It then formed the shape of a dragon before shooting off towards the other attack. As the two jutsus connected in a massive blast of steam and air, while the water on which Naruto stood began to waver under his feat. A massive shock wave quickly followed soon afterwards, knocking the boy over and sinking him beneath the torrent of waves amassing on the surface above him.

"Naruto!!!"

Kakashi was about to go after the boy, but soon found his hands full as his opponent struck once again. The two shinobi clashed on the rivers surface while Lee watched on from the embankment. "Hey Lee! Don't just stand there, go after Naruto!!! He can't swim!!!" Lee snapped out of his trance at the sound of Kakashi's words. He then jumped into the cool water and swam over to where Naruto had sunk.

The boy dived under it's surface and swam down into the depths of the cold river, the flashes and sounds of battle reverberating clearly above him. He caught sight of the sinking blond struggling against the threat of drowning and quickly grabbed onto his arm before pulling him to the surface. Naruto allowed for a deep gulp of air as they emerged from the river, the tears in his eyes disguised by the water on his face. Lee quickly swam them to the shore on the opposite side and then pulled Naruto into safety of the nearby forest, hiding them both from view.

"Are you alright Naruto-kun?" Naruto just sobbed with his arms around his knees as his fears gripped his body in their embrace. Lee noticed the golden tinge in his eyes forming once again as the boy began to mumble to himself.

"Why can't they just leave me alone? Why do they always have to try and hurt me?"

Lee noticed the tears flooding from Naruto's eyes. He didn't know what was going on, he didn't know why everyone was trying to hurt Naruto, but he knew that he would do anything in his power to protect the boy. At least they were safe for now, or so they thought.

"Lee..." The said boy immediately came to attention as Naruto spoke. "Please, just leave me. I don't want to see you getting hurt. They're only after me so they won't do anything to you if you just run away." Lee's eyes widened in surprise. Naruto was trying to sound brave, but his friend could hear the terror in his voice.

"No..." Naruto looked up and locked into his friends gaze. "I will not just run away and allow you to get hurt, I could never live with myself for that. I'm your friend and I'll always be there for you. Naruto burst into tears at the sound of the boy's words, sinking his head further into his knees.

"Oh, how touching!" Both boys quickly looked up as a tall man came into view in front of them, entering the small clearing hidden in the trees. Judging by his jacket, he was obviously chunin level. "So the monster has a friend to look after him? How pathetic! I'm going to enjoy seeing the life fall from your eyes."

Lee began to feel his blood boil inside his veins as his heart filled with complete and utter rage. The boy quickly stood to his feet and positioned himself between their assailant and Naruto, who's eyes were now filled with complete terror. The dark haired boy locked his eyes with the attacking shinobi as he fell into a taijutsu stance, displaying all of his anger and frustration in his dark pupils.

"I won't let you hurt Naruto-kun, even if it means I must die protecting him!" The man just snickered in humor.

"Well then, I may just grant your obvious yearning for death, or I maybe I'll just make you watch while I kill your friend slowly in front of you!"

The shinobi shot forward towards a prepared Lee, slamming his fist towards the boy's face. Lee caught the blow with his hand and halted the man's advance. The shinobi the struck with his other free hand, only to have it caught as well. Lee slowly began to push him backwards, edging him further away from the boy he was fighting to protect.

"You're... pretty strong... for an... academy runt." The man then allowed a sly grin to fall on his expression, causing lee to frown in discomfort. "But against a real ninja, you are still just trash." The man rolled onto his back and used his feet to send the surprised boy flying over him and into the nearby tree. The chunin continued to flow into his movement and sprang back up to his feat once more.

"Now the monster will die!!!" Naruto yelped in panic as the man sped towards him with a kunai appearing in his hand. Before the attack could land on it's mark, a sudden flash of white appeared in front of the boy, before a spray of red mist scattered through the air. There, standing between the man and a panicked Naruto, was none other than Lee. The boy had taken the kunai directly to his chest and blood was now pouring freely from the open wound.

"N... Naruto... run..." Lee gripped the arms of his assailant with his hands and clamped down on it like a vice, halting his movements to allow Naruto's escape. Blood began to trickle down the corner of his mouth, signifying that he had been hit in the lungs. Lee's eyes began to fill up with tears, trying to ease the burning pain he felt in his chest. Naruto slowly stood to his feat and shook his head in disbelief.

"No... no.... you weren't supposed to get hurt. I didn't want you to die." Naruto felt a sudden pulse of rage enter up inside of him, filling his blood with an unimaginable fury. The boy suddenly found himself standing inside the same dampened labyrinth that haunted his dreams, his tears falling to the ground and adding to the already water logged floor. Two darkened red eyes began to open behind the iron bars that stood in front of him as an ominous voice filled the air with all their malice and dread.

_"Destroy them... destroy those ignorant fools who would try to harm you. That is the only way you'll survive and become strong." _The water that flowed around Naruto's legs began to turn a darkened red, seeping into his clothes and running up across his skin. The boy began to scream in pain as a sudden burst of rage and blood lust filled into his heart, emanating from an unknown source.

_"I think that it is only fair that you feel my hatred as much as I have been subjected to you fears."_ The room in which Naruto stood began to fill with horrendous flames before suddenly disappearing into darkness once more.

Naruto fell to his hands and knees as the sudden excruciating pain began to overwhelm his body, filling his young soul with unimaginable emotions that no-one could ever imagine existing. The boy's eyes began to fill with a deep red haze and his nails sharpened out into claws.

"What's going on?" The startled chunin that attacked them quickly forced Lee's grip of his hands and jumped away from the massive amount of killing intent emanating from the small boy in front of him. Lee, no longer having the strength to stand, collapsed to the floor in a lifeless heap. Naruto looked over to his fallen friend as the boy's robes stained red with his blood. The enraged soul then turned back again to face their assailant, desperately trying to push back the excruciating pain and emotions he felt inside.

"You... why did you do that to him? He was my only friend!"

The man didn't even have a chance to answer, because soon Naruto was right in front of him slamming his palm into the chunin's chest and sending him sailing through the air. The boy blasted off again in a flash of dust and grass. immediately appearing above the still airborne shinobi. Naruto grabbed the mans collar in his claws and slammed him into the ground, forming a small crater as the earth shattered beneath them. The boy then landed on his feat again and picked the now limp body up into his grip, raising the man's terrified eyes to meat him own. What he saw then was not what the chunin expected. There were tears coming from the _'monsters'_ eyes. Tears that held all of Naruto's sadness, pain and grief. Tears that held the innocence of a scared child trapped within the tormenting visage of a terrible monster.

Naruto's slit eyes began to turn gold once more, while the edges emanated with a halo of deep red. It was like looking into the heart of the very sun itself. The man began to scream in terror and pain as they locked in each other's gaze, while Naruto's tears continued to fall from his eyes. Naruto was once again lost in his emotions, unable to control his actions as he burned away his opponents soul with his deadly gaze, causing the man to feel all of his pain and memories. Eventually, the boy realized what was happening and he quickly released his grip on the chunin, allowing the man's body to fall limply to the floor. Naruto's eyes slowly returned to normal once more and his claws disappeared.

"What... have I done?" Naruto collapsed to his knees and began to sob. He had once again allowed himself to cause another person the same pain that had plagued him his entire life, an act that he promised himself he would never allow to occur again. He then remembered the dark haired boy that had fought to protect him and shot to his feat once more.

"Lee!!!" Naruto turned around and ran back to where his friend lay silently on the floor. He turned the lifeless body onto it's back and tried to find any signs of hope, but their were none. The only person who had ever tried to be his friend was now lying in a cold pale heap on the grass. Naruto collapsed into tears and allowed his head to fall onto Lee's stomach, while the salty liquid soaked into the boy's blood stained robes, mixing with the crimson liquid. Naruto just cried for what felt like an eternity, having now lost his only friend. He began to feel the last remnants of his soul slowly break apart under the torment and frustration of his ill fate, but then he suddenly a glimmer of hope rushed to quell the hopeless heart. Naruto felt his emotions begin stirring inside his body.

"Lee?" The boy looked up again and searched the lifeless body in front of him. He could feel the slight tinge of emotion's emanating from the boys touch, something that told him that Lee was still alive. Naruto quickly activated his doujutsu and focussed his gaze on the body beneath him, catching sight of the small glimmers of light radiating from inside.

"He's, still alive!" Naruto yelped. But he could see that the light was quickly fading away, falling even further into darkness as every second passed.

"No, Lee! You can't die! I won't let you die!!!" Naruto didn't know why, but he was compelled to place his hands on the boy's chest. Instinct soon took over and Naruto focussed his gaze on the diminishing light inside his friend. He moved his touch towards where the glow was brightest and began to focus his chakra in that area.

"Please don't die.... please..." Naruto felt the energy begin to drain away from his body as his chakra linked with his friend. The wounds on Lee's chest began to slowly burn away and the energy inside his body began to brighten even more.

"I won't let... you.... die.... not now..." Naruto felt his eyes growing heavy as the life left his body, seeping away into the boy bellow him. After a few more seconds of contact, the blond boy fell into darkness and collapsed to the ground. His one hand still remained on Lee's chest, still trying desperately to give him any life that it could spare.

--

"Ngghh. W... what happened?" Lee's eyes slowly began to inch there way open, allowing the light of the world around him to fill his gaze with the promised of life. "I, thought I was going to die..." The boy felt a warms sensation coming from the area around his chest and looked down to see a hand laying on top of him. It was then that all the memories of what happened came flooding back, filling his mind with sudden terror.

"Naruto!!??" Lee quickly shot up into a sitting position and looked down beside him, only to see the pale face of a blond haired boy he had come to call a friend. Lee, noticing that the warm sensation was coming from Naruto's hand, quickly removed it from on top of him and gently placed it on the ground. He then turned onto his knees and looked over the lifeless body besides him.

"Naruto? Naruto please wake up!" Lee shook the boy's body desperately in an attempt to revive him, but Naruto didn't respond. "Someone... help me!!!" As Lee called out into the trees a shuffling could be heard coming from the nearby bushes. The boy jumped to his feat in preparation only to see Iruka and Kakashi appear into view.

"Oh, thank goodness we found you..." Iruka paused when he saw the lifeless body of Naruto lying on the floor behind a protective Lee. "Naruto!!!" The chunin ran up to the boys side and felt for a pulse. After a few seconds of agony, the faint signs of life slowly flickered through Naruto's veins, prompting Iruka into tears of relief. He then turned his gaze to an equally shocked Kakashi.

"We need to get him to a hospital immediately. His vitals are very weak at this point." Kakashi nodded his head and immediately appeared beside the boy, before cupping him up into his arms. Kakashi then felt a warm sensation fill into his body, filling it with strength and healing his cuts and bruizes.

"Oh shit!!!"

The masked jounin quickly placed the boy down again and released him from his grip. He then turned to the panicked boy besides him and noticed the blood stains on his robes, only there were no wounds to speak of.

"Lee, what happened here?" Lee snapped out of his trance and turned his gaze to Kakashi.

"I don't know, the last thing I remember is being stabbed by this man. I thought I was going to die but then I woke up with Naruto's hand on top of me and my wounds were gone." Kakashi nodded his head in understanding while Iruka looked on with a panicked gaze.

"I see." He then pulled out a small piece of paper with a seal inscribed on it and formed some hand signs. The seal began to glow a deap blue in colour and Kakashi then placed it on the boy's forehead.

"What's that for?" Iruka gulped.

"It's a seal made to block a person's chakra flow. I'm using it prevent Naruto's chakra from flowing into me when I carry him." Iruka still looked confused, not understanding what was going on. "I'll explain later, right now we need to get Naruto t hospital." Iruka nodded his head in approval and then walked over to a still overwhelmed Lee, who now had tears forming down the side of his face.

"Are you alright?" The dark haired boy silently nodded, his gaze not once shifting from the blond as Kakashi picked him up off the floor.

"He... he was going to let himself die so that I could live." The scarred chunin placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"He'll be alright. You can come to the hospital with us if you like." Lee nodded his head in approval and then followed the two other jounin out of the forest. Iruka carried him safely across the river while Kakashi carried an unconscious Naruto where they met a waiting Anko and Kurenai on the other side. The entire field was marked with the scars of battle, while the bodies of dead shinobi littered the floor. The two waiting kunoichi caught sight of the approaching shinobi and frowned when they saw the lifeless Naruto in Kakashi's arms. Even Anko seemed to faulter at the sight of his pale face.

There were no words shared between them, their expressions said enough on their own. The group quickly made their way to the hospital together, rushing to save the life of the boy who had touched all of their hearts. Lee looked over the young boy who had just saved his life by risking his own. He didn't know why the boy was always being treated so cruelly and he was now yearning for answers.

--

Well, this was a pretty long chapter. I hope you enjoyed! :)  
I hate to leave you guys guessing what happens next, but I'll update soon. I promise!!! XD


	15. Chapter 15 Secrets

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

I may take a bit longer to update the next chapter after this. It's quite an important one so I want to take my time and make sure I get it right. In the mean time, I will also be updating my other story as well and will hopefully catch up a few chapters.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next chapter. :)

--

**Chapter 15 - Secrets**

The scant rays of early morning sunlight began to sweep briskly into the small windows dotting down the hallways of the Hokage tower, shining brightly off the white long hair of a tall man. The massive figure slowly made its way down the long winding path, heading towards the office in which the third resided. Everyone that walked down past him paused to take in his visage, some dropping their mouths in a gape as the man flicked them a confident grin. The ANBU stationed outside Sarutobi's office didn't even pause when he approached, instantly moving aside to allow him passage.

"Hey old man, long time no see!" the burly figure boasted as he shot through the door with a massive grin on his face. Sarutobi didn't even look up from his paperwork, instead opting to take a deep draw from his still smouldering pipe before sighing in despondence.

"You know, you're not so young yourself anymore.... Jiraiya." The said man just pouted in disapproval while his old sensei looked up towards him, grinning as he did.

"Well, as old as I may be, I'm still the biggest chick magnet in Konoha! You better believe it!" Both men burst out laughing at that, Sarutobi all the while shoving his growing pile of paperwork aside for another time.

"It took you long enough to get here. I was beginning to wonder if you received my message at all." The white haired man walked over to the nearby wall and leaned against it's hard surface, gazing out the window as he stood there. He allowed himself a moment to take in the familiar sight of the village he grew up in.

"Well I'm still surprised you knew where to find me. Not many people can locate me when I don't want to be found, but it did sound pretty urgent so I'm not surprised you managed."

Sarutobi just snickered under his breath. "It wasn't that difficult, I just had to focus around all the bathhouses in the fire country. It didn't take long after that." Jiraiya just smirked. His old sensei knew him all to well, that much was for certain. But the real reason he left Konoha was completely different from what everyone expected. He wasn't just researching for his new novels.

"May I ask then what this is all about?" Sarutobi took another deep drag from his pipe, allowing the taste of his tobacco to linger on his tongue before letting out an exhausted breath. Jiraiya knew what that meant. It meant something was up, something big. The sanin now found himself at full attention, waiting to hear what the old man had to say.

"It's about the Yondaime's legacy..." Jiraiya quickly removed himself from his comfortable position against the wall, his face falling into a far more serious expression.

"Well, what is it then?" he gulped, desperately waiting for an answer.

"There have been some interesting developments regarding young Naruto Uzumaki. Apparently he has somehow acquired an unknown bloodline, a doujutsu to be exact. I thought you might know something more about this, seeing as how you were very close to both of his parents." Jiraiya sank into a nearby conveniently placed chair, trying to absorb this newfound information. Sarutobi could see the baffled expression on his former students face and took it as a sign off ill luck. "I'll take it then that you had no idea of such a bloodline existing?"

The sanin just shook his head in quiet disbelief.

"I used to spend a lot of time with Minato when he was still under my wing and he never showed any signs of a hidden bloodline. Even Kushina, being the brilliant kunoichi she was, never displayed any unusual abilities in all the times I had seen her in battle. I just don't understand, when did this all come out?" The Third Hokage cringed in discomfort, realizing that his student was not going to like what he was about to hear.

"It happened when one of Naruto's wardens at the orphanage tried to... hurt him. Lets just say that the man was in hospital soon afterwards due to its effects. I heard that he is still trying to recover from the ordeal." Sarutobi then went on to explain the circumstances of Naruto's life up until this point, filling in on everything the sanin had missed and describing how Iruka had eventually taken him in. He also described the events around the theft of the scroll of sealing, where Naruto displayed his doujutsu's power for the second time.

Jiraiya felt his heart as the old man explained. He didn't know that people were trying to willingly hurt Naruto. He had originally left the village in order to protect the boy from outside threats, finding information on those that were hunting people like him in order to safeguard his future. Now he was finding out that the boy was also subjected to just as much danger in his own village as well.

"Where is he now? What's happened to him?" Sarutobi looked at the sage with dampened eyes, seeing his student's obvious pain and discomfort.

"He is currently in hospital. I received a message stating that he was attacked by an unknown group of shinobi yesterday afternoon and is now currently undergoing medical treatment. I have since sent ANBU to investigate the scene. There was only one survivor from the battle, although he's now currently in a comatose state and I don't know how long it will be before we can pry any information out of him."

Jiraiya felt his heart tearing itself to shreds. How could he let this happen? How could he break his promise to protect his godson and allow Naruto to be harmed like this? The white haired man quickly rose to his feet and took a deep breath, trying to calm his now overloaded nerves.

"I don't know anything about this mystery bloodline, but there is something else that may help. Minato entrusted a scroll to me for safekeeping until Naruto was old enough to accept it. He said that he didn't know what it was for, only that it had been passed down through his family for generations and that no one had ever been able to open it before. Even I couldn't break the seals that held its contents safe. Perhaps it may hold the answers to this mystery."

Sarutobi nodded his head in understanding before waving his hand to dismiss the sanin. He knew the man would want to check on Naruto, only he didn't know how well the boy would take to seeing him. Jiraiya left soon afterwards, exiting out of the office and coldly slamming the door behind him, prompting another deep sigh from the Hokage who just looked back down at his ever growing list of paperwork.

"This is going to be a long day..."

--

The empty white hallways of Konoha's hospital sounded heavily with the shuffling of nervous feet as a young, purple haired jounin impatiently paced outside of one of the many rooms. Her quiet companions could only watch on with heavy hearts as the woman silently cursed under her breath, spitting words of hatred and malice that now held onto her anguished soul. Her words held the same emotions that they were all feeling, only Anko was never one to keep her frustration in check. No-one had ever seen her so worked up before and it soon became painfully obvious how much she had grown to like Naruto over the last few days. Perhaps it was because their pasts were so alike, or perhaps she saw even more in the blond boy she had just risked her life to protect.

Iruka just chewed away at his nails as the five of them waited for the nurses to finish with their patient, his mind reeling in the panic of almost losing the boy to death. Kurenai held a shaking Lee under her arms, trying to calm the boy's emotions as he waited for news on his friend while Kakashi just continued to read his novels, trying to remove his thoughts from the events of the previous day. It had been a long night for them all and none of them had really gotten any sleep since Naruto had been brought to the hospital.

Of course, the _'fine establishment'_ didn't want to accept the _little monster_ into their care, but Anko's promise of pain and death (followed with an immeasurable amount of killing intent) quickly changed their minds. After a few more minutes of waiting, and a few more curses from a now fuming Anko, the door to Naruto's room finally opened and a nurse stepped outside to meet them.

"We've managed to stabilize the mon... um boy's condition. You can go in now to see him." Everyone quickly rushed inside, not even hesitating for a second. Only Anko remained outside, her gaze locking with the nurse that had only very reluctantly seen to Naruto's wounds. She slowly walked up to the now sweating woman and moved her head closer to the nurse's ear.

"If I find one scratch on that boy's body that wasn't there before I'm going to kill you very VERY slowly... do you understand?" The jounin's voice was filled with an endless amount of malice and the killing intent radiating off of her was enough to paralyze anyone in fear.

"Y... yes... m... ma'am!"

Anko then shoved past the nearly traumatized and heavily shaking woman and walked inside to see Naruto. When she caught sight of the pale whiskered face of the young boy, she almost choked at the sight of it. Her heart instantly plummeted from anger and hatred to something else, something she hadn't felt in years. She felt fear, the fear of losing something she knew was important. Lee sat in a chair next to the blond boy and locked his gaze on the quietly sleeping from. His eyes began to fill with pain as he looked over the small body of the friend that had just saved his life. He then turned to the other adults and began to speak.

"Why..." Everyone turned to the stammering boy as he coldly voiced his question.

"Why is everyone trying to hurt Naruto-kun? What did he do to deserve this?" No one answered, it wasn't there place to say anything. The dark haired boy became even more frustrated at the lack of response and clenched his fists at his sides.

"WHY MUST HE ALWAYS BE THE ONE TO FEEL SO MUCH PAIN!!!" The present shinobi jumped at the boy's outburst, feeling the amount of anger filling throughout the air. Iruka just walked up to the fuming boy and placed his hand on Lee's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Lee, but we are not allowed to say anything. That is something only Naruto himself can reveal and only if he wants to." The boy just gritted his teeth in frustration, realizing that he wasn't getting an answer any time soon.

Lee then turned back to watch over his friend, not once shifting his gaze from the boy.

--

Naruto found his eyes slowly beginning to open, revealing the dark damp room that he recognized from his nightmares. The boy began to pick himself up off the water drenched floor and stood to his feet, looking over the iron cage that held the terrible eyes he had seen before. The same ominous voice he heard in his last nightmare began to call out to him once more.

_"That was a close one brat!!! You should be more careful with those abilities of yours!"_ Naruto felt the floor tremble beneath him as the horrid voice emanated from behind the shadows. The boy took a deep breath and tried to calm his now trembling nerves.

"W... who are you? What do you want from me?" A massive snicker sounded soon afterwards, piercing the boy's heart with the evil that radiated throughout the air.

_"Hehehe... haven't you figured it out yet boy?" Why, I'm the very reason you are hated, the very reason why you have been tortured your entire life."_

Naruto held his hand against his chest, trying to quell the burning emotions he felt in his heart. He already knew what it was that spoke to him from the darkness, but he didn't want to believe it. Now there was no denying it any longer.

"You're the Nine-tailed Fox aren't you? The one that attacked Konoha...."

_"...Ten years ago"_ the said monster finished him off. _"That was when your accursed Fourth Hokage sealed me inside of you. You can't begin to fathom the amount trouble it has caused me being trapped in your pathetic body. To feel all of these weak emotions... it sickens me!!!"_ Naruto felt a large amount of killing intent coming from the dark red eyes that stared at him through the darkness. His eyes began to turn gold in colour as the raw emotions of his past life began to flow through his heart.

"I... I've been alone my entire life. Every night they used to beat me, every night I was tortured because of you and you can only complain about your stupid problems!!"

The monstrous kitsune was taken aback by the boy's sudden outburst. He then caught sight of the golden eyes that now looked back at him, holding in them all of the pain and emotions that Naruto felt inside.

"Hmm, those eyes are interesting. I wonder what they see?" Naruto began to quiver in his sandals as the ominous red eyes locked in his gaze, shortly before the boy fell to the floor screaming in pain.

"Aaaggghhhhh!!!!!!!" The great Kitsune watched on in confusion as Naruto's body cringed in agony, squirming on the damp floor as terrible nightmares flashed through his mind. "Make it stop!!! Make it stop!!!!"

--

A great cry of panic shot throughout the small hospital room as Naruto screamed out in pain, squirming in his bed with his face contorting in agony. Lee yelped in panic as he watched his friend writhing in pain, not knowing what he should do.

"Naruto!?!"

Iruka ran up to the boys side and watched as tears began to stream from his tightly closed eyes. Naruto was now violently twisting from side to side, almost as though he were trying to shake off some unseen attacker.

"Iruka-sensei... please help me!!!" The scarred man moved his hand over to the squirming boy, but pulled away in fear as Naruto's body tightened even more.

"Naruto?" The said boy just continued to wince in pain while the others watched with widened eyes, none of them knowing what to do. The boy continued to call out for his sensei while he shuffled in agony. After taking a deep gulp of dread, the scarred man grabbed onto Naruto's hand and squeezed it in comfort, trying desperately to calm him down.

A sudden burst of terrifying emotions suddenly rushed into the chunin's heart, filling him with a kind of dread and panic he had never felt in his life before. Iruka began to grit his teeth in pain, trying desperately to push away the overwhelming emotions coming from Naruto's touch.

"N... Naruto..." The man tried to force his own emotions into the boy's body in a desperate effort to calm him down. "I'm here Naruto... you're not alone. I'm here..."

--

Naruto felt an incredible amount of pain and terror filling in his body as he squirmed on top of the cold hard floor beneath him. He did the only thing he could think of, he called out for the one man who promised to always be there for him.

"Iruka-sensei... please help me..." He could no longer bare the pain, it was simply to much for him to handle. The room around the boy began to fall dark once again as a calm loving voice called out in answer to him.

"Naruto... I'm here..." Naruto felt two hands grabbing onto his shoulders before pulling him up from the cold floor into a warm hug. The boy's quivering body began to calm down and his eyes began to open as the warm emotions of his sensei flowed into his body.

"Iruka-sensei?" The darkness around them began to slowly fade away once more, being replaced by the bright white walls of the hospital room around them.

"It's alright Naruto, I'm here. I won't let you go." Naruto looked around to see the panicked faces of his other protectors. Anko was just about ready to explode by the looks of things and Kakashi and Kurenai were both as pale as the dead ought to be.

"Iruka-sensei... it was horrible. I... I saw him. He was in my head and when I looked at him..." Naruto paused in fear, almost too afraid to repeat the terrible images that flashed through his mind. Iruka noticed his falling emotions and rubbed the boys back to ease them away.

"You're safe now... He won't hurt you any more, I promise." Iruka looked up to a frowning Kurenai, having realized exactly what it was that Naruto was referring to. Her eyes revealed the same thoughts that he was thinking as well. If Naruto had come into contact with the Kyuubi, then the boy was in even more danger than they realized. Who knows what kind of damage such an encounter could cause Naruto, especially with his bloodline.

"Nggghhh!!!!!" Naruto began to wince in pain again, prompting Iruka to gently lay him down on his back again. The boy was panting heavily from exhaustion and his face was still a sickly pale.

"I think we should get you something to eat. You look completely drained." Naruto nodded his head in approval of his sensei's idea and allowed a grin to form on his face.

"H... how about some ramen?" The chunin just chuckled under his breath, happy to see Naruto still capable of smiling despite his condition.

"Sure thing kiddo." The chunin then slowly walked out of the door, followed closely by Anko and Kurenai, the former of whom still had a bone to pic with the hospital staff. Kakashi was left behind to watch over the defenceless boy while Lee continued to sit at his side. Naruto then turned to look at the bloodied figure of his friend, causing his face to furrow in concern.

"Lee, are you alright? I thought you were..." The said boy quickly forced a grin on his face, trying to look as reassuring as possible.

"I'm fine now, thanks to you." Lee then moved is robes aside to show Naruto where he had been attacked. There was only a small mark left where the boy had been previously stabbed. "I don't know what you did, but I guess you saved me." Naruto felt a sudden surge of relief flow over his body while a smile emanated from his lips.

"That's good... I... I was afraid I lost you forever."

"You can't get rid of me that easily!" Lee grinned in reply. "Besides, someone has to look out for you at school." Naruto allowed a small giggle and then locked his gaze with his friend once more. He slowly moved his hand to the edge of the bed and offered it to his friend. Lee, noticing the new startling development, gulped in uncertainty and looked back up to the blue eyed boy.

"Naruto... are you sure?" Naruto just nodded his head and smiled in approval. Lee just stared at his hand and began to freeze in fear, knowing how afraid the boy was of touching others. He didn't want to hurt Naruto but he also didn't know what else to do.

"You should take his hand." The boy turned to look up at Kakashi as he spoke. "There have only ever been two people that Naruto has allowed to willingly touch him and those are Iruka and Kurenai. Not even I have been given the opportunity to. What he's offering you a precious gift that is not to be taken lightly, he's offering you his trust."

Lee nodded in understanding, knowing full well the importance of such an act on Naruto's part. He slowly turned back to the boy waiting beside him and held out his own hand, before allowing it to fall gently onto Naruto's open palm. Lee's eyes widened in surprise as a flurry of warm emotions began to flow from Naruto's touch and into his unprepared heart. The dark haired boy began to feel tears stinging at the back of his eyes and began to wonder if they were really his own or if they were Naruto's, although right now it didn't matter anymore.

Naruto allowed himself to bask in the concern and warmth of his best friend and slowly began to close his eyes. Very soon he was sleeping once again, passing out from the sheer exhaustion that still gripped his body. His face still glowed with a warm smile that lit up the entire room, while Lee just continued to hold the boy's hand, being too afraid to let go lest Naruto fall into his nightmares once again. Kakashi watched the scene play out with a hidden smile. Although Naruto had come close to death in the attack on his life, it seemed the boy gained something far more important in its stead.

--

About half an hour had passed since Naruto had fallen asleep again and Iruka and Kurenai had since returned with the boy's lunch. The chunin almost collapsed in shock when he saw Lee firmly holding onto the boy's outstretched hand, but a quick explanation from Kakashi reassured him that Naruto had willingly allowed such contact. It then became obvious just how close the two had grown over the past two weeks and how much trust Naruto placed in his new found friend. Now they were all patiently waiting again, while Naruto's ramen began to grow cold. The boy just lay there peacefully, breathing gently in a harmonious rhythm while snugly tucked under the warm protection of his blankets. Everything was so calm, so peaceful... until a large crashing sound was heard coming from the hallway.

"YOU PERVERT!!! I'M GOING TO RING THE LIFE OUT OF YOU!!!!"

The three adults waiting in the room immediately jumped to their feet, recognizing Anko's all too familiar voice from a mile away. They carefully peered out of the door and into the hallway, only to see the crazy jounin ringing the neck of what looked like one of the legendary sanin.

"I swear it was an accident..." then man croaked, trying desperately to talk through the woman's vice-like grip on his throat.

"Accident my ass!!! Your hand didn't just _'ACCIDENTLY'_ find it's way onto my chest did it!?!"

"Ahem!"

Anko paused in her one man killing spree as she heard Kakashi coughing from the doorway.

"Anko, I think that's Jiraiya of the sanin you're holding ever so firmly in your hands." The buxom woman just growled in frustration, causing the masked ninja to step back in fear.

"I couldn't care if he's Jiraiya of the Suna Sand Fairies, no-one touches me like that and lives to tell about it!!!!"

After a few moments of painful agony for the toad sage, and a long arduous rescue attempt from the other shinobi, Anko finally released her prey, allowing Jiraiya a moment to feel his neck while trying to ease the passage of air making its way down to his burning lungs.

"So, may I ask what the legendary Jiraiya is doing back in Konoha?" Kakashi murmured, trying to avoid the death stares from Anko. Jiraiya just basked in the gratifying title he had been given, but his moment was quickly ruined by Anko.

"More like the legendary pervert!" The tall, long-haired man just pouted in disapproval.

"I'm here looking for a boy named Naruto Uzumaki. I heard he was submitted into the hospital yesterday afternoon. The other four shinobi instantly shifted into an immidiate state of alert, knowing that the man may try to harm the boy for reasons his own.

"May we ask WHY you are looking for him?" Kurenai growled, radiating a small amount of killing intent. Jiraiya immediately noticed the animosity and realized what was going on.

"Oh... so you guys are the ones looking after him. The old man told me that he had people watching over the boy." Kakashi then relaxed his guard.

"So the third was the one who told you about Naruto?" The sanin nodded his head.

"There is something of great importance I must discuss with the boy. I won't be too long" Iruka walked over to the nearby door and gestured for the man to follow.

"You can see him if you like, but he's still asleep. Whether he talks to you or not is up to him though." Jiraiya nodded his heaed in understanding, following into the room where Naruto lay. Kurenai and Anko followed closely behind him, eyeing him out carefully.

Kakashi just sighed in despondence. At least he wasn't the target of the women's wrath this time. As the toad sage entered into the small, mostly empty room, his face paled at the sight of the sleeping boy stretched out on the nearby bed. He looked just like his father and Jiraiya was taken aback by the startling resemblance. Lee noticed the arrival of this new stranger and immediately tensed up in defence, but unfortunately his emotions also alerted the sleeping boy beside him and soon Naruto was shuffling once more in discomfort.

"W... what's going on?" The boy yawned, as his eyes slowly began to open once more. It was then that he caught sight of the new arrival. Jiraiya grinned nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Um... hey there! You must be Naruto-kun. My name is... er... Jiraiya, although you may know me as the legendary toad sanin of Konoha." Naruto just remained quiet, his face filling with discomfort before turning to look at a nearby Iruka. The said chunin took that as a sign that Naruto was concerned about this new stranger and the man quickly spoke up to reassure him.

"Naruto, this man is a friend of the Hokage's. He just wants to speak to you, that's all." Naruto, having been reassured by his sensei nodded his head and greeted the man.

"Good... um... morning Jiraiya-sama... I think. I'm actually not sure what time it is."

The old man cocked his head to the side, surprised to see Naruto so uncomfortable in his presence. This kid acted nothing like his parents, who were far more open and enthusiastic. Jiraiya began to realize just what his old former sensei was talking about when he mentioned Naruto's treatment at the orphanage and the guilt of his failure now bore down on him even more. The sanin took a deep gulp of dread and prepared himself for the storm he was about to enter.

"If it's alright with everyone else, I'd like to speak to Naruto alone?" Naruto's eyes instantly shot into a look of panic. Being left alone with a stranger rarely turned out positively for the boy.

"No, if you want to talk to Naruto, I will stay here with him as well." The toad sage looked over to see a defiant Iruka staring back at him. The boy had too many close calls recently and his sensei wasn't about to risk another one, no matter how trustworthy the sanin was.

"And who exactly are you to this kid?" Jiraiya enquired, wondering why the man was so protective.

"I'm the one who Naruto currently lives with, so I guess that means I'm the closest thing he has to a real family." Jiraiya felt Iruka's words stabbing away at his heart, realizing that he owed this man a lot of his gratitude for rescuing his greatest failure.

"Alright then, you can stay, but everyone else must leave."

This time, Jiraiya's words were a lot firmer than before. He was no longer the old fool of a pervert they saw earlier and his voice now radiated with an overbearing seriousness that threatened the wellbeing of anyone who ignored his request. The other jounin in the room reluctantly complied despite the growing discomfort of the situation. Lee gave one last squeeze to Naruto's hand before releasing it to follow soon afterwards. Once they were all gone, Iruka moved over to Naruto's bed and sat down beside him, waiting patiently for the older man to speak. Jiraiya pulled up a chair and sat down at the base of Naruto's bed. He took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for what was about to transpire.

"Naruto, you may not know me, or even heard of me before, but I know all about you. You see the truth is I... I... I knew your parents."

Naruto's eyes bulged like saucers while his heart jumped into his throat. The boy had never heard anything about his parents before and always just assumed he had been abandoned at birth. It wasn't like anyone ever wanted him anyway. The boy grew even more anxious than before, waiting for the old man to continue.

"Your mother and father both died protecting Konoha when the Kyuubi attacked our village ten years ago." Jiraiya cringed as he altered the truth about the circumstances of Naruto's parents' death. Although it was technically true, he couldn't reveal the actual events for the boy's own safety. He could see the growing tension in Naruto's eyes and even noticed the small flash of gold reflecting back in them.

"But, why? Why did they just leave me? Why did they allow the fox to be sealed in me?" Iruka placed his arm on the boys back, trying to ease the growing emotions that filled his heart. Jiraiya just cringed, trying to find the right answers.

"They did the only thing they could and their efforts saved every one else in the village." Naruto wasn't buying this at all. The boy began to grow furious inside. He couldn't understand why his mother and father had to die, why he had to be left alone while everyone else was happy.

"Why did they abandon me!?! They left me alone and hated my entire life while I had this stupid fox sealed inside of me. Didn't they even try to do anything else?" The sanin bowed his head in shame.

"They... they left you in my care. I promised them that I would take care of you and I did try, but..."

"Who were they?" Naruto cut him off.

"I... I can't tell you..."

"Why not!?!" The boy snapped back again.

Jiraiya just flinched as Naruto razed his voice even further, this was a lot harder than he expected. The blond felt his heart begin to race as his blood filled with all the anger and confusion he felt inside.

"So you're telling me that my parents died trying to save the stupid villagers, but they didn't care about what happened to me! Then you tell me that you were the one supposed to take care of me but instead decided I wasn't worth your time just like everyone else always has. Now you're telling me you can't even give me their names!? Just go away and leave me alone!!! I don't need you or your stupid explanations!!!"

Jiraiya was about to respond when he received a sharp glare from Iruka. Although Naruto sounded angry and frustrated, the scarred man could hear the grief and pain in his pupils voice. The chunin stood from the bed and walked over to where the older man sat.

"I think it would be best if you go now, you've caused enough damage as it is." Jiraiya, seeing that this was his que to leave, slowly stumbled to his feet and walked over to the door. He turned back to look inside to see the pain in Naruto's now fully golden eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small golden scroll that he had kept for this very day.

"Your father wanted you to have this when the time was right. I guess this is as good a time as any. He was never able to open it himself, but maybe you'll have more luck with it." The sanin then threw the small parchment over to where Naruto sat and watched as the boy caught it in his hands. He then disappeared from view and made his way out of the hospital.

"Well, I guess that went as expected" he mumbled to himself, wallowing in his feelings of disappointment. "Minato... I'm sorry I've failed you. I can only hope that he might one day find it in himself to forgive me."

Over in the small hospital room, Iruka turned back to a still frozen Naruto and walked up beside him. He the sat down next to the boy and rubbed his back with his hand.

"Are you alright kiddo?" Naruto just shook his head, confirming his sensei's fears and the feelings he felt from his student's touch. The boy began to quiver heavily and turned to face Iruka's eyes.

"Why did they just leave me like that Iruka-sensei? Didn't they love me?" Iruka noticed the water welling up on the boy's eyes and quickly pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sure they only did what they thought was best for you." Iruka was having a hard time convincing himself of that fact, but he had to reassure Naruto that he was in fact wanted. The boy eventually felt his emotions slowly returning to normal, much to his chunin sensei's relief.

"So kiddo, want that ramen now?" Naruto pulled away and nodded, prompting the man to fetch his nearly cold food. He watched as the boy slowly dug into his favorite meal, although he no longer showed the enthusiasm he normally would when eating from Ichiraku's. Once Naruto was done, Iruka took his bowel and placed it on the nearby shelf before walking back up to his charge. The boy's eyes were carefully scanning the rolled up scroll that he held in his hands, searching over the strange seal that held it shut. It almost looked like it was made out of pure gold, only it was still soft to the touch.

"I wonder what this is for." Naruto murmured as his eyes dug into the small symbols. The seals on its surface slowly began to glow in a shimmer of soft light, drawing Naruto's gaze as he was lost in it's enrapturing trance, but small knock on the door immediately broke his concentration and snapped him out of his gaze. The two looked up to see Lee slowly walking inside, followed by the other three jounin. Naruto flashed a warm smile at the sight of his friend, which the dark haired boy returned in kind. Iruka walked up to his curious companions and stepped aside to talk to them.

"So what happened?" Kakashi whispered, trying to pry for information.

"He told Naruto how his parents died, although he didn't revealed their names or any other information about them. He also gave Naruto a scroll that he said was from his father. Apparently no-one has ever been able to open it before." Anko felt her blood begin to boil as Iruka explained the situation, as well as the fact that Jiraiya was supposed to look after Naruto after his parent's death.

"When I get my hands on that pervert, I'm gonna ring his neck until his jewels explode!" They all felt the same anger seething inside of their veins. The man could have prevented Naruto's suffering if he had just taken him in, but he instead abandoned him to a far crueler fate, just like everyone else had done the boy's entire life.

The small council of defenders then turned back to Naruto, whom they were relieved to see giggling in the company of his friend. Lee was telling him a few jokes all the while shooting of his famous grin, trying to divert the boy's thoughts off of everything that had taken place the previous day. They all knew that there was only one survivor amongst the shinobi that had attacked him and that he was now lying in a comatose state from the effects of Naruto's doujutsu. They would have to wait until he woke up before they could get their answers as to why they were after the boy.

The only other mystery remaining was the contents of the golden scroll Naruto now possessed, a scroll that had never been opened for many generations before. Little did they know how much of an impact it would have on the boy's life and what incredible secrets it contained.

--

Well, that's it for this one. Will Naruto unlock the scroll that has been passed down to him, or will its secrets remain hidden from his view? Answers about Naruto's bloodline will be revealed in the next chapter while new threats also make themselves known.  
Hope you enjoyed! :)


	16. Chapter 16 Ancient Heritage

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Naruto's bloodline and ancient heritage are revealed, as well as the name of his doujutsu!

**P.S.** I would like to thank **'Kiiroi Senko'** for assisting me with the naming of my doujutsu and finding translations. It has been a great help and I appreciate it. This is your doing so thanks again! :D

Hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

--

**Chapter 16 - Ancient Heritage**

The soft humming sound of a heavily beating heart rang throughout the quiet dark hallways of an unknown location, hiding within it's passages the putrid smell of an evil aura. A young man slowly makes his way through the winding corridors, panting desperately to gain what little air his lungs could manage. It was almost as though the air itself was thick with malice, burning away at any life that dared to enter into its shadowy domain.

Eventually, the man found his way into a darkened hall, standing in the centre of the endless maze. As he approached the middle of the pitch-black room, using only his keen senses to guide him, the hissing sound of an unknown menace began to reverberate off the walls, shooting into the shinobi's heart with an excruciating killing intent that would end most lives in a heartbeat. The man knelt down in front of a hidden shadow, lowering his head as close to the ground as possible, waiting for the dark voice to speak to him.

_"The child still lives, you have failed me yet again. I give you a simple task and yet you somehow manage to disappoint me."_ The pure evil and malice that licked off this unknown tongue was almost as tangible as a blade cutting through ones heart, destroying it completely in a single clean blow. The young man began to sweat profusely, raising his head to meet the unknown figure that called out to him.

"I... I'm sorry master. He was protected by very powerful shinobi. We couldn't..." Before the quivering soul could even finish his explanation, his voice began to stiffen as a massive amount of killing intent entered his body.

"Arrrgghhh!!!" The man's face began to pale to a deadly white gloss, as dark lines veined along his skin and seeped into his very core, sucking all the life clean out of his body. A few seconds passed before the lifeless corpse hit the floor with a resounding thud, its eyes filled with the unmistakable terror of an unseen malice that ate away at his very core.

_"Failure cannot be tolerated any longer. As long as the child lives, he will be a threat to my goals. I expect you to do better than this now dead fool." _As the voice finished speaking, another unknown figure entered into the room, kneeling before the figure of authority with a fearful respect.

"I will not fail like the others, I only live to serve my master's will." The unknown presence answered with an approving hiss.

_"Good... good I like your confidence, it may mean the difference between your life and death. I have an important task for you to complete and if you are successful, then I will reward you handsomely. Take this scroll that contains some of my essence and bring it to the village of Konoha. Once It is safely inside the village's walls, open it. I will be able handle the child myself from then on. After all, there are far easier ways to get through the boy's protection than a simple show of mere force."_ The man bowed once again and held out his hands above his lowered head only to feel the small parchment falling into his palms.

"As you wish my lord."

--

The late afternoon sun melted down into the bodies of a travelling group of shinobi as their eyes carefully guarded over the young boy who had forced his way into all of their hearts. Naruto was now happily making his way out of the hospital and back into the village once more, with Lee supporting his tired body on his supportive shoulders. Iruka watched with a warm smile as the boy giggled and laughed in the company of his new friend, a friend that he was willing to give his life to protect.

"It looks like you've finally found something worth holding onto Naruto" Iruka murmured to himself, as he watched the said boy carefully from behind.

Kurenai, Kakashi and Anko were also keeping a careful lookout of there surroundings, ready to act in case of another impending attack on the boy's life. They were all surprised to see Naruto so care and worry free, despite the ever-present threat on his wellbeing.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable knot form in his stomach as he watched the two boys talking to one another, acting between them as though nothing had even happened. But he could sense the nervousness in the Naruto''s voice quite easily and he wondered if anyone else had noticed it. The masked jounin knew that the blond was probably just trying to keep his mind off what had just transpired, from the attempt on his life to unnerving visit from a certain sanin.

Kakashi saw something in the boy the first day he met him and immediately caught onto the fact that he was his sensei's son. Although he know loathed the old hermit for not taking the boy in when he had the chance, he also felt guilty about his own neglect all these years. Although Kakashi himself was only fifteen years of age at the time of the Kyuubi's attack and thus a less suitable caretaker for the boy, he couldn't help but feel that he should have somehow been apart of Naruto's life in some way or another, even if it only meant watching over him as a friend. The masked jounin thought about telling him of his heritage, but knew it wasn't his place to say anything. Besides Jiraiya, as heartless as he may have seemed, must have had some reason to keep the truth from the boy.

After walking a few more minutes in the warm comfort of the glowing sunlight, the group eventually found themselves in a quiet field on the edges of the village. They had all decided that it was a good idea to keep Naruto away from the busy and dangerous streets of Konoha and instead went to a more secluded area. His own personal training field was still littered with the corpses of dead shinobi which the ANBU were still investigating, so that was out of the question, this was the next best alternative. Of course, Lee was adamant to come with him as well, despite the new threat of danger to his friend. In fact, that only seemed to strengthen the boy's resolve to protecting Naruto even more, and the said blond was more than happy to have his company.

"Alright guys, I guess we can relax a bit" Iruka murmured stopping in the middle of the field. Lee slowly inched a weary Naruto to the ground, sitting him under the gentle shade of a nearby tree. Iruka walked up to the two boys and sat down on the opposite side of his favorite student, pulling the boy under his arm as he did.

"Wow, you're still quite cold to the touch" Iruka gulped, as the boy's icy skin seeped into his hands. Naruto just giggled and snuggled up even further into his sensei's side, basking in the warmth and protection the man offered him.

"At least I have you to keep me warm Iruka-sensei." Lee just watched on with a smile as he saw the happy grin on Naruto's face, who was no doubt feeding on the positive emotions of his protector.

"Well, now what are we going to do?" Anko yawned, already bored about just sitting around and doing nothing for the rest of the day. She knew they wouldn't be doing any more training after what happened so she wouldn't be able to watch that. The sadistic jounin turned to her two companions for ideas, only to see Kakashi already sunk into his novels, while Kurenai bored into the man's soul with her deadly gaze.

"Sheesh, these two need to get a life!" She mumbled to herself, flicking her kunai through her fingers.

The jounin thought of using Naruto and his new little friend for target practice, but the idea of traumatizing the boy after he just survived a near death experience immediately threw that option out of the window. Besides, he had just hospitalized a shinobi three times his age and she didn't want to find out how he managed it. Anko eventually resigned to watching the clouds passing through the sky, a hobby that she had abandoned a long time ago, but somehow found herself enjoying lately once again. Perhaps it was the way Naruto made her feel in his presence.

Naruto himself just allowed his tired eyes to slowly dose away as his head rested against his equally relaxed father figure, the boy was still exhausted from his ordeal and the thought of sleep was an inviting prospect for his exhausted mind. He was just about to let the darkness of slumber consume him, when he felt a sudden warming sensation tingling against his leg, radiating from the pocket in which he kept the scroll Jiraiya had given him. The boy slowly opened the pouch and slipped his hand inside, before pulling out the golden parchment that was now growing softy in the light of the late afternoon sun.

"I wonder how you open this thing?" the boy mumbled to himself, catching the attention of his two companions. Iruka glanced over the shining treasure with curious eyes, wondering what secrets it contained, while Lee just marvelled in it's beautiful design.

"Yosh! Where did you get that Naruto-kun?!" The boy's dark eyes bulged out even more than humanly thought possible. The intricate patterns and markings that covered its surface shimmered softly in the ensuing light, capturing the gaze of its onlookers with an enrapturing trance of its golden hue. Iruka noticed the longing expression in Naruto's eyes, a look that told him that the boy was desperately hoping for answers in this last token of his father's.

"Naruto, I don't want you to get your hopes up to high about that thing. Remember that Jiraiya mentioned that no-one had ever managed to open it, not even him. He is known as one of the greatest seal masters of our time, so there is little chance of finding someone who can help us." The young boy nodded his head in disappointment. He had hoped that the scroll contained some information on his family or heritage, but he knew his sensei was right. There was no point in getting worked up only to be disappointed like he had always been before.

"I understand Iruka-sensei..." the boy mumbled, looking up at the said man with forlorn eyes. The scarred chunin just smiled sadly and scruffed Naruto's hair, gaining a small grin from his otherwise dampened expression. Naruto then turned back to gaze at the scroll, searching over the patterns and seals that covered its surface. Even if he could never learn its secrets, at least it was something that linked him back to his family in some way, a family he had never seen or heard of before. As the boy's eyes became lost in the glimmering surface of his treasure, the seals on the scroll began to glow brightly in his hands.

"Iruka-sensei! I think something is happening!" The chunin almost jumped as Naruto shouted his name. He quickly turned to look down at the boy's possession, only to see the shimmering light that now emanated off the golden object.

"It's... so beautiful..." Naruto's voice almost sounded distant, as though he were now lost in some sort of trance. Lee and Iruka watched in confusion as the boy slowly stood to his feet, before walking out into the middle of the field with the scroll firmly in his hands.

"Naruto?"

The boy didn't answer his sensei's call and soon all of his protectors were up to their feet, their eyes tracing Naruto's every movement as his body acted on it's own accord. The boy's eyes began to turn gold once more as they were hypnotized by the unnatural power of the object in his hands, which only cause the scroll to react even more to his enchanted gaze. A sudden field of golden light began to fill in the air around where Naruto stood, while intricate patterns began to weave into his skin, shining the same colour as the scroll now emanated itself. His entire body, from his legs up to his face, began to burn with the shimmering glow of the golden tattoos.

"Naruto!!!" Iruka ran up to where the boy now stood, while the boy began to whisper barely audible words, talking to no-one in particular.

"It's... calling me, it wants me to go somewhere..."

Before the chunin or any of Naruto's other protectors could reach him, the boy lifted off of his feet and began to rise slowly into the air while his hands and feet fell limply to his sides. A sudden flash of blinding light erupted from where he ascended, sending out a massive shock wave that hurled the other shinobi off their feet before sending them hurtling through the air. They all landed a few feet from where the boy once was but when they turned to find him, there was only a smoldering patch of burnt grass remaining. Iruka felt his heart plummet into his stomach, his eyes desperately searching for the young boy. He ran up to the empty spot on the field and fell to his knees where Naruto had just been standing.

"Naruto? NARUTO!!!"

--

Naruto's eyes began to slowly inch their way open as his body cringed in discomfort, revealing the darkened halls of an unknown location. The boy felt like he had just been hit by a Grand Fireball Jutsu and his skin was now burning painfully.

"Where... am I? What happened?" All the boy could remember was becoming lost in the shimmering light of his golden scroll before feeling a strange power surging through his body. "Did the scroll bring me here?"

Naruto slowly picked himself up off the floor and stood to his feet, searching the hallways around him for any clues to his location. The walls and floor around him were filled with dust and sand, while massive cracks formed in the stonework where the roots of trees seemed to break through the structure. It was almost as though this place, wherever it was, had been abandoned for centuries and was now nothing more than the remnant ruins of a long forgotten past.

Naruto took a deep gulp to calm his falling nerves and began to stumble through the darkness, trying to feel his way around the ancient ruins as best as his vision would allow. He didn't know why, but this place seemed unnaturally familiar to his senses and he found himself instinctively moving through the long hallways towards an unknown destination. The boy could feel a strange presence filling the air around him, a... familiar presence.

"Hello! Is anyone there?!" The only answer Naruto received was his own echoing voice as it rebounded off the ancient stone walls. The boy was now feeling desperately alone and the ensuing darkness began eating away at his fearful heart.

"Iruka-sensei!!!" Still there was no answer. "Anyone!!!"

Naruto just continued to wander the lonely hallways, allowing his trembling legs to guide him wherever fate willed him to go. After walking aimlessly for a few minutes, he eventually found his way into a large hall, whose floors and walls were marked with the same intricate patterns that adorned his now missing scroll. There were also strange images carved into the stone, but they had been heavily worn and Naruto couldn't make out the figures or scenery etched into them. At the end of the massive room was a large stone wall adorned with traces of golden lines, etching out the image of two people standing face to face.

Each had a hand dropped next to their sides, holding what looked like a strange opened scroll, while their other hands where stretched out in front of them, touching lightly against one another. Only half of each face could be seen from the side, but their individual golden eyes seemed to stare as one, boring down into Naruto's soul as if to judge him in some way. There was also a symbol etched onto each of their held scrolls. Naruto was still learning how to read properly, but he managed to make out the two small words with little trouble. The scroll on the left said 'body', while the one on the right said 'spirit'.

"Body and spirit? I wonder what that means?" Naruto mumbled to himself.

The boy walked up to the end of the room, allowing his eyes to scan over the strange depiction in the ever failing light. As soon as he came close, a sudden surge of power began to flow into his body, causing him to stop in his tracks. The ground began to tremble violently in front of him as a pedestal rose out of the stone floor. A panicked Naruto watched as it solidified right before his eyes and then felt the trembling abruptly stop.

Naruto held his hand against his chest to quell his racing heart, trying desperately to calm himself down as his breathing wavered in a heavy pant. "Why do... all the weird things... always seem to... happen to me?" After calming his now blistering nerves, the boy walked up to the pedestal and looked down on its dusty surface. There were two seals inscribed in gold on either side of the stone surface, as well as an inscription running at the bottom.

"Only the purest of hearts, one... devoid of... hatred and malice, can open... the way to... the truth." Naruto struggled to read the words, but he finally managed to make them out. He looked back up to the piercing eyes that stared down at him and took a deep gulp. "I guess I have to try something..." The boy then placed his hands on each of the seals, only to feel his emotions pouring into the cold stone tablet.

One of the golden figures on the wall in front of him began to glow brightly as the boy touched against the seals, the one that held the 'body' scroll. Naruto could feel something inside of him stirring as his hands touched against the cold stone, like the very life that filled within his small body was pouring out through his hands. He then looked up into the golden eyes that locked in his gaze, his own eyes flickering brightly to match their colour.

As Naruto's doujutsu activated, the eyes on the wall began to glow brightly as well, before the figure that held the 'spirit' scroll began to shine in a shimmering haze. Just then, the entire room began to lighten up brightly, filling with the same radiant glow that emanated off the wall. The deeply carved patterns that were etched into the stone pedestal began to fill with a golden hew as its energy traveled from the seals Naruto's hands touched against, down the stone structure and into the ground.

The light weaved along the intricate patterns that ran along the floor almost as though it were liquid gold, eventually moving up into the walls and traveling towards the central wall that Naruto faced. All of its energy converged into the point where the two figures' hands met each other, causing a bright seal to form over them. Naruto watched with widened eyes as the stone began to separate where the hands met before opening right before him. After a few more moments of stone grinding against stone, the lights began to fade away once again, only to leave the opened section where the walls had parted.

Naruto, who was now dazed with wonderment and acting almost solely on instinct, removed his hands from the now sinking pedestal and walked into the newly revealed entrance. As he stepped inside the perfectly round hall that was hidden inside, the stone behind him began to shift back into place, closing him off from the rest of the ruins.

"No! Wait! I don't want to be trapped in here!" Naruto tried to escape before he was closed inside, but he was already to late. The stone walls clashed firmly against one another, leaving the boy alone in complete darkness. Naruto fell to his knees as his body began to quiver in fear.

"I'm... I'm all alone again. I want to go back to Iruka-sensei now..." Naruto felt the same presence that had entered his body before, he slowly felt his way to his feet and turned to where he felt the source of its flow. "Is... is someone there? Please... don't hurt me, I just want to go home." As if to try and ease Naruto's fears, the room began to light up again, casting away the shadows and filling its walls with a warm soft glow that eased the boys racing heart.

Naruto felt a sudden calm entering into his body as a familiar presence swept over him, basking him in the reassuring feelings of its good intensions. He then felt the presence move away from him again, while guiding him closer towards the centre of the room. The boy stepped in front of a circular seal that marked the ground in front of him and watched as the glyphs began to glow brightly on the floor. A soft light enveloped the space above and the figure of a tall man wearing long white robes lined with golden trimmings appeared before the blond, easily towering above the much smaller Naruto.

His long, light blond hair fell to his waist and his eyes shone pure golden in colour. Naruto felt his knees shaking against one another as he took in the man's radiant and powerful visage. He was afraid and yet at the same time he felt like he knew this person from his dreams. The boy's wavering thoughts were quickly brushed away when the man opened his mouth to speak in a calm, soothing voice.

_"I have waited for two thousand years for the day when another would come, another that held the blood of our heritage. Now I look into these young eyes of yours and see that the time has finally arrived for my rest. Tell me child, what is your name?"_ Naruto felt the power and grace in this man's voice, it was filled with both authority and nobility, yet it was also gentle and kind.

"M... my name is... N... Naruto Uzumaki... sir" the boy stuttered in reply, trying to find the courage to speak. The man allowed a small smile to flash warmly on his face, trying to ease the fear that clearly enveloped the child in front of him. "Who... are you mister?"

_"I was once called by the name Kitorouka in times long since past, but only the last vestiges my essence now remain in these desolate ruins of our once proud halls. I have been waiting here for another to arrive, one that carries our bloodline and with it, the last hope of our shattered power."_ Naruto scratched his head in confusion, trying to piece all this new information together. He could feel the unmistakable link between himself and this man and wondered if his bloodline had something to do with those feelings.

"Does this mean that you have the same bloodline as I do?" The man silently nodded his head.

_"Yes, your veins flow with the same power that me and my predecessors once bore as well."_ Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, this was a startling revelation indeed for the boy. It meant that he was related to this man in some way, even if only very distantly. Very, VERY distantly. (Two thousand years distant to be exact). The boy's head began to explode with a multitude of questions, he wanted to learn everything he possibly could and his curious young mind now kicked into action.

"Um... Kitorouka-sama, what exactly is my... I mean our bloodline? I only just recently activated my doujutsu and I still don't know what it does or even what its name is. What happened to the rest of us? Why am I the only one I know with these powers?..." Kitorouka, quickly raised his hand to halt the boy in his tracks, before Naruto went into overdrive. An amused grin fell onto the man's gentle face, having been amused by the boy's strange antics. It had been so long since he had the pleasure of enjoying the youth of a child's curious mind.

_"All will be revealed in due time my child, but I think it would be better to show you our past rather than to tell."_ The man gently held out his hands towards Naruto, prompting the boy to take them into his own. Naruto looked down at them with a fearful heart and then looked back up to meet their owner's warm gaze. Kitorouka could see the fear in the boy's eyes and slowly frowned at the torment he saw.

_"You have lived a painful life young one. It tortures me to see the amount of cruelty you've had to endure and I am sorry for that. I know your heart is no longer trusting of others, but I promise I mean you no harm." _

Naruto could feel the sincerity flowing from the man's voice and his eyes held the promise of truth in their golden glow. The boy took a deep gulp and pushed aside his emotions, allowing himself to trust the only soul that held the secrets of his past. Naruto then extended his slightly shaking hands and allowed them to touch against his host, before feeling the warm emotions flowing from the man. The comforting feelings immediately quelled the boy's fears and Naruto's trembling came to a sudden halt.

_"That's good Naruto-kun, now look into my eyes."_

The boy did as he was told and locked into Kitorouka's gaze. His doujutsu began to activate as they stared at one another, matching in the golden stare of the man standing above him. The world around them began to slowly disappear into darkness once more as Naruto was swept off his feet. A few blurring moments passed as the young academy student felt his mind reeling from a sudden burst of information, before suddenly becoming clear.

--

_"We are here..." _

Naruto felt his feet touch against the ground once more and he slowly began to open his clenched eyes. His pupils began to constrict in the sudden brightness as his gaze filled with the light of the glowing sun, revealing before him a massive city that stretched as far as the eyes could see. Naruto looked down on the land bellow from the top of a nearby mountain, gasping at the sheer scale of the oversized village that met his gaze, its size easily dwarfing Konoha a number of times over. The boy looked around himself, only to find that Kitorouka was now missing.

"Kitorouka-sama? Where are you?"

_"I am here my child, I am all around you. The visions you are seeing now are drawn from the memories of my past life."_ Naruto nodded his head in understanding.

"But, then how am I able to see your memories?"

_"It is the power of your doujutsu, it grants you the power to see into a person's very being, to see their spirit deep within them as well as the flow of their life force. When your eyes meet someone else's gaze it will allow you to form a connection with their very souls, allowing you to relive their memories and emotions or even force them to relive your own most painful nightmares. Unfortunately, these past memories you might experience will often return in brief, random flashes through your mind and can almost never be willfully controlled." _

Naruto absorbed everything that was being told to him like a sponge, trying to sort through all the new information he was being supplied.

"So that's what I saw when I looked at Kakashi-sama, they were his memories. But if I can't control what memories I see, then how come this one is so... I dunno, so normal?" Kitorouka could hear the confusion In Naruto's voice, although he knew it would be hard for such a young mind to understand, he tried to explain anyway.

_"I am the one controlling what you see before you and it is through my willpower alone that you can so freely roam in my past. What you are seeing right now is a kingdom that existed long before the formation of the great elemental countries, a kingdom ruled by those of our bloodline. I will do my best to show you what I can and help you understand." _

Naruto then saw flashes of light blurring all around himself, before reappearing in another location. It was the interior of what looked like a large palace and its white marble floors glistened in the sunlight that shone through the open windows.

_"This was my home a long time ago, the very place in whose walls I was born."_ Naruto watched anxiously as a young boy dressed in robes came scampering into view, entering the large hall held tightly by his mother's arms. The child's eyes would flicker in a golden hue every time the woman squeezed him in her embrace, gaining an innocent chuckle and a warm smile. He looked no older than Naruto was right now, only this boy looked much happier than he once was. He noticed the child reacting to his mother's every touch and wondered if this boy also felt the emotions of others through touch.

"Kitorouka-sama, what about what happens when I touch people? How come can they feel my emotions and I can feel theirs?"

_"It is because of the link formed when you come into physical contact with those around you. Your eyes allow you to see a person's spirit and link your soul with theirs, while your touch allows you to link with their physical bodies. When this happens, your life force will flow freely into them along with all of your emotions felt at the time. but beware, for it is a blessing as well as a curse. It will grant you the power to help those around you, but it can also be used by others to harm you as well."_

Naruto was almost lost in the images of love and comfort he saw before him as he tried to digest what he was told. His wandering thoughts were soon interrupted when Kitorouka's voice called out to him once again, continuing to explain his past.

_"I was born into the world destined to be the ruler of my people, just the same as my forefathers were before me and their ancestors as well. Our family's bloodline only activates in the first-born child of a new generation once every hundred years. The people of my country called the golden eyes that signified our heritage the 'Tenraigan', hailing it as a gift from the heavens sent to help guide them through the darkness. There was only ever one wielder of it's abilities at any single point in time, and only once that bearer had passed away could another be reborn in their place. When a new child was eventually given birth with it's power, that precious life was celebrated as a blessing and hailed as the new heir to our kingdom's throne, as well as the beacon of hope for our future. I was the last son to enter into that ancient lineage, the last to rule our kingdom before the darkness came to consume us all."_

The images once again began to change, skipping further ahead in time in a blur of random thoughts and memories. Every know and again they would stop at a certain important moment in Kitorouka's life, from his inauguration and crowning as the ruler of his kingdom, to the man's marriage to his first love. Kitorouka would explain each event in detail, while also answering the boy's numerous questions as best he could. He felt it was the least he could do to show Naruto at least some of his past heritage.

After a few more sad moments and happy memories had passed, they eventually found themselves ariving at the most painful one of them all. Naruto soon found himself standing on a darkened battlefield, the sun having been blocked out by the gathering of unnaturally dark storm clouds. The boy couldn't help but feel the evil taint of an unnatural presence scarring the land around him, the same kind of evil that he felt when he spoke to the Kyuubi within himself. His deteriorating thoughts and growing fears were only saved by the warm comforting voice of his ancient past.

_"This was the day our world crumbled apart. It was the day that the great demonic serpent, Kurayami, attacked and destroyed our grand city with all of his cruelty and malice. It was also the day that our bloodline was almost thrown into extinction, the day I died."_

Naruto looked behind him to see the once proud kingdom set ablaze in a raging inferno of smoke and fire. His eyes filled with the terrifying visage of an evil shroud as it made it's way through the city, while his ears burdened the terrible screams of slaughtered innocents. The boy watched with tears of anguish forming in his eyes as a golden light enveloped the shroud and blinded his watchful gaze. The last thing he saw was the silhouetted figure of an unknown person riding on the back of a great winged beast, moving towards the shadow that consumed everything in it's path. AS Naruto was enveloped in a never ending white light, a soft voice soon called out to him.

_"I am sorry Naruto, you should not have to bare the burden of seeing the awful terror of that day. It is to much for a young mind like yours to bare..."_

Naruto then felt the same surge of power flowing through his body that he felt when first entering the dream.

--

When the boy's vision came back to him, he was once again standing in the old ruins with Kitorouka's hands holding his own. The man's eyes were filled with a deep sadness and Naruto could feel the regret and hopelessness emanating from his touch. Kitorouka quickly removed his hands from Naruto's, sparing the tearful boy his pain and grief. There was a brief moment of silence between the two before the man spoke up again.

_ "When Kuroyami attacked us, he destroyed our once proud kingdom without any show of remorse or mercy, slaughtering every last man, woman and child in his path. I eventually managed to corner him into a great battle and was finally able to seal him into an ancient shrine, but I ended up dying in the process. But, before my spirit made it's way into the afterlife, I managed to seal some of my own essence here in these ruins, hoping and waiting for any survivors of our bloodline to one day inherit the Tenraigan's knowledge once more. Now that day has come... and you are standing here before me."_

Naruto tried to push back the overwhelming emotions that filled inside his soul. He had learned more about his heritage in one day than he could have ever hoped, but he still found himself longing for more answers.

"But Kitorouka-sama, why me? Why was I chosen to hold this power. You said that the people of your kingdom saw you as a blessing, a light to guide them into the future, but I'm only seen as a curse in my village. Everyone sees me as the monster that tried to destroy them and killed their families. Surely you must have the wrong person."

Kitorouka could see the pain and grief in Naruto's eyes. The boy's past was scarred with the cruelty of those around him and his soul had been heavily damaged by their unfair judgement. He lifted his hands up to the boy's cheek and held it in his gentle grasp, gaining Naruto's eyes as he did.

_"Naruto, I know of the terrible burden you bear inside of you, I saw it the very moment I first looked into your eyes. But know this, you were chosen to receive this gift because you are the only one who can hold its power now. You are the last of our ancient bloodline and the only hope for its future. There is no-one single person on this earth who is more worthy of the Tenraigan's power than the kind and caring soul you are." _Kitorouka then removed his hand once again and held it open in front of him. A small glimmer of light filled the air around his palm before the golden scroll Naruto was given appeared in his grasp.

_"This scroll contains all of the secrets of our bloodline and heritage, as well as that of our ancient past. Now all of it's knowledge and power will be entrusted to you, the last holder of the Tenraigan. Only your eyes can reveal it's hidden secrets and read the words inscribed inside." _The man then handed Naruto the scroll once more, before the boy looked up at him again with forlorn eyes.

"What about you, what will you do now?" Naruto mumbled, still having so much to discuss with the man.

_"I have served my final purpose in finding you. My spirit cannot hold onto this world for much longer and soon it will be called back to where it belongs. What little is left of my knowledge and essence is now in that scroll. If ever you need any answers, you will find them in there. I only wished I could spend more time with you, but time is a commodity I can no longer afford."_ Kitorouka's figure then began to slowly dissipate into thin air, enveloped in a golden light as he smiled in this world for the last time.

_"Naruto, there is one last warning I must give you. In my time here, I have felt a small amount of Kurayami's essence escaping back into the world. He will stop at nothing to free himself from his prison in order to walk the earth once more. As a descendant of mine, he will also see you as a threat to his power and will actively seek to destroy you as well. Always be careful my child, I bid you a fond farewell young Naruto Uzumaki."_

Naruto could only watch as Kitorouka disappeared in a bright display of golden light, before the room fell into darkness once more. The warm glow that once held the hall in its soft light now disappeared all together and the boy could no longer feel the presence that had once filled inside him. He was alone again, with no way of escaping his newest prison.

"Damn it! I forgot to ask him how to get home!"

Naruto then felt a warm tingle in his hands and looked down to see his golden scroll begin to glow once again. The boy was once gain pulled into it's trance as the same golden tattoos from before began to run up from his hand to cover his body, before ascending back into the golden light that had brought him to the ruins.

"Everyone... I'm coming back now... I'll be home soon..."

The golden sphere that enveloped the boy then disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the lifeless ruins in complete darkness.

--

Back in the warm confines of Konoha's sunny fields, a now panicked Iruka paced briskly back and forth across the soft green grass, shuffling his feet in the frustration of losing his student. The ring of burnt field where Naruto had disappeared still smoldered with the charred remains of the searing light. Anko seemed just as equally frustrated, only she was using Kakashi as target practice to relieve her built up tension, much to the masked jounin's dismay. Kurenai relieved her frustrations by watching Anko use Kakashi for target practice and it seemed to be working quite well. Lee just sat next to the smoldering ring where his friend had disappeared, desperately hoping that he would return safely. He couldn't bar the thought of losing his _'little brother' _from his mind, nor could he stand the thought of Naruto being alone somewhere he couldn't watch over him.

"Damn it, damn it, **DAMN IT!!!** Where the hell is he!?!?!"

Everyone turned to look at the infuriated chunin as he voiced his frustrations aloud. Tears began to mark down the scarred man's face as he continued to pace back and forth, signifying his torment. "I can't lose him... I just couldn't bare it..." The man broke down to his knees on the grass as he clenched his fists at his sides. Kurenai quickly rushed up to his side and sank down next to him, placing her hand gently on the man's shoulder.

"Iruka... he'll... he'll come back to us, I just know he will." The said man turned his tear strewn eyes back towards the woman at his side. Kurenai could see the pain in his face and how much this was really affecting him.

"It's that stupid scroll! If Jiraiya hadn't given him that useless piece of scrap, this would never have happened in the first place!!! I just want him back Kurenai, I want to see him again and hold him in my arms. I want to tell him how much... how much I... love him. He doesn't need to worry about his past anymore, because I'll always be there for him, I'll always be... his father now."

The scarred man sunk his head into Kurenai's shoulders as his companions simply watched the scene unfold. The red-eyed jounin allowed the tears to fall on her shoulders as the man released all his hidden emotions. Not even Anko dared to mock his moment of weakness and her face was also filling with the same pain that met them all. A few moments of tears passed when small hum sounded from nearby.

Iruka tore out of his companion's embrace and shot around to see the commotion, only to catch sight of a bright light filling the nearby area. The present shinobi, as well as a now finished Lee, covered their eyes to shield them from the blinding aura. Once it had finally diminished, in its place lay the unconscious body of a young blond boy, with a small scroll still sitting firmly in his hand and intricate golden tattoos covering his body.

**"Naruto!!!" **

Iruka jumped up from the floor and ran towards where Naruto lay, followed closely by the others watching. He sank down beside the boy and cupped him up into his arms, squeezing as tightly as his arms could manage. "Naruto... you're back! I thought I lost you..." The chunin basked in the warm glow of life he felt coming from his student's touch, allowing himself the relief he felt to flow between them as well. His tears fell off his cheeks and onto Naruto's body, his arms never once loosening to release their hold.

"I won't let you go again... I won't ever abandon you..." The man then looked back up to his equally relieved companions, only to be met with the warms smiles shining back at him. Lee was practically falling apart on the spot, while Anko crushed the unfortunate masked jounin beside her with an affectionate bear hug. Kurenai just walked up to the scarred man and knelt down next to him and Naruto, her eyes scanning over the tattooed body that lay in Iruka's arms.

"Looks like he had an interesting time while he was away. I wonder if these markings are permanent?" Iruka just grinned at strange sight of his student. It didn't matter to him so long as Naruto was safe.

"I think I finally understand what I need to do Kurenai. When I thought I had lost him forever, I finally realized just how important Naruto is to me. I think maybe it's time Naruto had a real family..."

The man then stood to his feet with a sleeping Naruto in his arms and began to take him back home. The boy would have a lot of explaining to do when he woke up again, but that could happen over a nice steaming bowl of ramen.

--

Well, I hope that clears up a few things (alright, a lot of things) about Naruto's abilities. Thanks once again to **'Kiiroi Senko'** for coming up with the name for my doujutsu, I appreciate it! :)  
Now Naruto possesses the scroll to all his clans secrets, so things will become even more interesting from here on.  
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! XD

**Note: 'Tenraigan' =** Heavenly eye / heaven sent eyes / Divine eye.


	17. Chapter 17 Turning Point

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey everyone, It's me again. Since I posted my last message about how I've been feeling lately, I've been getting quite a bit of support from you guys out there. I didn't actually realize just how many people really liked my story, so I'm sorry if my little rant came off as a bit selfish. Anyway, I've decided to give it a bash again and see how it goes from here. Ironically enough, that last message was also my most reviewed 'chapter' in my entire story.

In future, if anyone feels that this story is not for you for whatever reason, then please have the decency to just stop reading it instead of complaining to me all the time. I am just an aspiring writer like any other and I've put a great deal of effort into this fanfic, so I only ask that in return you show a little respect for the time and effort I've put into my story by letting it be just that... _my story_. I don't get any rewards for writing it and I don't make any money off of it, the only reason I do it is for my own personal satisfaction and hopefully that of my readers as well. So please just remember that before you shoot your mouths off without thinking about how you make others feel about their hard work.

Anyway, now that that's out of the way, I present to you my latest chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again to everyone who supported me. :)

--

**Chapter 17 - Turning Point**

The small shuffling feet of a young boy slowly rummaged through the desolate streets of the mighty kingdom of his once proud past. The sounds of terrified screams and crumbling buildings rung throughout the air as a dark menace slowly encroaches on a once grand city, destroying everything in it's path. The once proud kingdom of Naruto's heritage now lies in bloody ruins, and the last vestiges of remaining life are quickly snuffed out, leaving a desolate landscape of death and shadow. Naruto watched on with a sinking heart as he walked through the burnt streets and crumbling houses, the bodies of innocents lying all around him. It was a terrifying scene to behold and the boy started to wonder if this was the same case when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha.

"It's... so dark... so.... cold." Naruto hugged himself in his arms and tried to push out the unnaturally icy chill that crept through his body, while trying to ease his aching heart. There were even children's bodies lying in the street, some no older than Naruto himself. It was the work of a true monster and the boy finally began to understand the evil behind such an attack.

The boy heard the rumbling of destruction still sounding off in the distance and then looked up to the sky, only to see the silhouette of a great winged beast descending from the heavens. It's massive wings shimmered in what little light entered through the darks storm clouds, almost as if to grant a final hope in a moment of complete despair. Naruto watched with growing tension as the beast, who had what looked like robed man standing on top of its surface, flew in the direction that Kurayami waited. A great clash of light and dark soon followed in the distance, far beyond Naruto's sight. The boy held his breath in anticipation for a few moments, when light began to envelope the valley in it's promising embrace of life and embracing his body in it's comforting hold.

_"The past is finished and done. The future is now yours to hold..."_

--

"Wh... where am I...?"

Naruto's eyes slowly began to pry themselves open, enveloping his gaze in the glistening light of the sun. The boy's vision was met with the familiar sight of his ceiling and then realized that he was safe in his own room.

"I'm back...I made it..." The boy slowly tried to push himself off from his bed, only to find his skin burning with an excruciating pain. When he looked over his body to find the source, the shimmering gold of the tattoos that covered its surface immediately caught his sight. "Waaahhhh!!! Where did this come from!?!" Naruto tried to rub the markings off his arms and legs, but they just remained behind. "Man... what will Iruka-sensei think when he sees this? What will the guys at the academy think? They'll tease me forever!!!"

Naruto took a deep breath of dismay and then allowed his feet to dangle over the side of his bed before stepping onto the wooden floors. The boy stepped outside of his room and made his way to the bathroom, before checking in the mirror to see the extent of his new body art. Much to his growing dismay, Naruto's face was also filled with the golden markings that covered his arms and legs. He quickly took of his shirt, only to find his chest covered as well.

"Well, this is just fantastic. It wasn't bad enough that I had the Kyuubi put inside me, but now everyone will see me coming from a mile away."

The young blond took a moment to look over the intricate golden patterns that flowed over his skin. If not for anything else, someone might just kidnap him and sell him, seeing as he was now almost literally worth his weight in gold. Naruto just shook his head at the thought of it and then removed the rest of his clothes, before stepping into the shower. For some unknown reason, the water that spouted onto his body felt even more relieving than ever before and Naruto found himself taking more time then usual cleaning himself. Once he was done, Naruto stepped back out and looked at himself in the mirror again, noticing that his entire body was still covered in markings. The boy then just sighed in despondence and pulled a towel around his waist, before walking out of the bathroom and into the nearby living room. He looked up to the clock on the wall only to find that it was already twelve in the afternoon.

"Man... I must have been out for quite a while. I wonder where Iruka-sensei is?"

Naruto then walked over back into his room and changed into his usual attire, before flopping back down onto his soft warm bed. His mind was still reeling with the numerous thoughts and memories of his previous ordeal. Everything he had learned was both a great relief and a heavy burden at the same time for the boy. On the one hand, he finally knew more about his past and bloodline, how it worked and what it meant for him. While on the other hand, he also knew more about its numerous dangers, as well as the threats that now faced him as the last bearer of his otherwise extinct heritage.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated all the time? I can never get anything good without something bad happening to me as well." Naruto then turned to look at his side, only to find the golden scroll that had been given to him, sitting on his nearby shelf. Naruto reached out for the only treasure left from his past and looked over it with forlorn eyes.

"If only you could tell me about my parents, but I know that's not possible." Naruto ran his hands over the engravings that covered the scroll, enjoying the tingling sensation of its grooves as it gently caressed against his skin. Soon afterwards, the golden tattoos that adorned his body began to slowly melt away, flowing down his arms and into the scroll that he possessed. Once they had disappeared all together, the seal that covered the scroll loosened and unlocked the contents inside.

"Hey... what just happened?" Naruto mumbled to himself, looking over his now normal skin. Not being one to deny what little luck came his way, Naruto quickly opened the scroll in his hands and began to look inside, only to find the blank golden surface devoid of any contents. "Oh yes, now I remember, Kitoryouku said that only my eyes could see what's inside." Naruto then activated his doujutsu, which thanks to Kakashi's training he could now control willingly. As soon as his eyes turned gold, the letters and symbols hidden away began to materialize into view, covering the once blank scroll with all of their secrets for the boy to see.

"Wow! This is so awesome!!!" Naruto bounced up and down on his bed with glee, excited to finally have access to the secrets of his past. "I wonder if they have any cool secret jutsu in here, or maybe there's some hidden fighting styles!" Naruto didn't waist any time in searching over the scroll and he wasn't disappointed with what he saw. There were indeed an assortment of different jutsu listed that were used specifically by his bloodline, as well as a unique taijutsu style that made use of there physical attributes. The more Naruto saw, the more he wanted to read.

There were also sections on the history of his lineage, right up until the first known wielder of the Tenraigan and its power. Naruto still struggled to read most of the contents, but his lessons with Iruka had borne a lot of fruit. The boy skipped ahead of most of the sections, deciding that he would need to take more time with them later on. He was briskly moving along when one particular section caught his curious gaze. The boy looked carefully over its title and read it slowly.

"S... summoning contract..." Naruto then read over the inscription below. "This contract gives the bearer comp... companyship... um, companionship... with a lifelong friend and ally. The two will be soulmates until death's embrace and will share both their.... knowledge and... wisdom, as well as their very souls. Their destinies will be intert... intertweened forever as one."

Naruto then looked down to see the names previously signed, of which their were very few. Right at the bottom of the small list, was Kitoryouku's own name glimmering in golden writing. The boy then looked over the conditions of the contract, knowing that you shouldn't sign anything without knowing what you're getting yourself into. There were actually very few prerequisites to the agreement, albeit they were very important ones. For one, only the wielders of Naruto's bloodline could actually sign it, which explained why so few had done so before him. Secondly it had to be signed in the readers own blood as a show of both respect and as an example of devotion to the agreement. After reading all of the conditions, Naruto took a deep breath, trying to contain the urge to spontaneously combust on the spot.

The boy was now completely exploding with excitement. Naruto had herd a lot about summoning contracts in the academy and knew that many great ninja used these agreements between themselves and a certain family of animals to form a partnership. This would create a mutually benefiting relationship between the two parties and gain the said summon's assistance in both battle and in council, sometimes even forming a lasting friendship. There were even cases where the family contracted would teach their summoner the secrets to their own fighting styles and jutsus, although this only happened in rare instances of great trust and long lasting partnerships. Seeing no downsides to this rare opportunity, Naruto slapped his hands together with glee and grinned with approval.

**"Alright, I'll do it!!!"**

Naruto then bit the tip of his thumb, allowing a small trickle of blood to flow from the wound. He then inscribed his name on the empty space bellow that of Kitoryuoku's, who was the last of his bloodline to sign it. Although the idea of binding one's soul with that of another being was a bit of a nerve wrecking idea for the boy, Naruto concluded that if his ancestors had done it before then it must have been a good choice to make. That and his excitement on the matter was just blowing through the roof. After writing his name in blood, Naruto then covered the tips of his fingers in the crimson liquid and pressed his hands down on the scroll, marking its surface with his prints. As soon as the signing was complete, the blood began to burn away in a bright light, fusing with the scroll itself before turning gold in colour.

"Well, I guess that's it then..." Naruto couldn't contain his excitement any longer and finally decided to test his newly formed agreement. His chakra control exercises had come in handy and he didn't have too much trouble molding it correctly while forming the hand seals required. He first did a few practice runs to make sure he had the right order and timing and then took one last final leap of faith. He formed the hand seal quickly and then slammed his palm onto the surface of his bed.

"Summoning jutsu!!!" A sudden burst of white smoke erupted from the boy's palm, causing the room to fill with its thick plume. When the newly formed smog began to clear, a small shuffling sound replaced the ensuing quiet. "Hello... is anyone there?" Naruto mumbled, trying to look through the smoke to see what he had summoned.

**"Grrraaarrr!!!!**" Suddenly a small head popped out of the plume, baring it's sharp, shining white teeth while letting out a playful growl.

**"Aaagghhh!!!"** Naruto, having received the fright of his life, jumped at the sound while yelping in surprise. The stumbling boy fell off the side of his bed and landed with his back on the wooden floor. The boy opened his painfully cringing eyes and looked up to the edge of the bed that his feet still rested up against while trying to gain control of his swimming vision, only to see the same small head pop over to look at him.

"Hahaha... I got you, I got you!!!!"

The confused blond cocked his head to the side as the bouncing little creature jumped up and down in excitement, flapping its shining wings in approval of his successful prank. The creature then jumped down from Naruto's bed and landed next to the surprised boy, while baring his teeth in what could only be described as a boastful grin. Naruto painfully sat up from the floor and turned to face his newly summoned companion.

"Are you the one that summoned me? I thought there were no more people who could summon us anymore, or at least that's what my dad told me."

Naruto, who was still trying to rub his eyes to make sure this wasn't a dream, took another look at the small, bronze coloured creature that was no bigger than the size of a dog. Its fairly long tail wavered precariously behind him and his shining wings glimmered in the sunlight that entered into the room. His eyes also shined in a similar bronze colour as the rest of his body, although it steered more towards a hazel brown.

"W... what are you exactly?" Naruto mumbled, trying to make out what on earth, or beyond, he had just summoned. The said creature just pouted in dismay.

"What do you mean what am I?! Don't you know what a dragon is when you see one?" Naruto almost audibly gasped at the sound of the creatures words.

"You mean... you're a dragon? A real life dragon?" The small creature just sighed in disbelief, surprised by how seemingly dense the boy in front of him was.

"Well duh! Haven't you ever seen a dragon before? I mean surely everyone knows what a dragon is." Naruto, who was still getting over the shock of what he was talking to, just shook his head from side to side.

"Well... no, not exactly. You see, I thought you guys only existed in stories. I've never actually heard of a live dragon though, especially not in Konoha." The boy then grinned in excitement, realizing he had a contract with a legendary creature.

"This is so awesome!!! Wait until Iruka-sensei sees you!!! He'll be so impressed!!!" Naruto then jumped up to his feet in excitement, causing the small dragon to yelp in surprise. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki.... what's yours?" The creature just grinned boastfully, cocking up it's head in pride.

"My name's Ryuukimi. I'm a part of the Ryuu family of dragons and son of the dragon lord Ryuukou. He's the head of our family, but one day, I'm gonna take his place as leader. But I'm still quite young though, so I can't even breath fire like him yet." Naruto was surprised by that last statement.

"You mean you can breath fire too?" Ryuukimi's eyes just bulged out of there sockets.

"Wow... you really are clueless aren't you? All dragons have a natural affinity towards fire, although there are some who have learned to use other elements as well, at least that's what my dad told me. He said that I would eventually be able to breath it myself so I must just be patient." Naruto scratched his head, blushing slightly from embracement as he did so.

"Sorry Ryuukimi, I guess this is all a bit new to me. It's the first time I've ever summoned something before, never mind a dragon." The small dragon just smiled before leaping up onto Naruto's arms and climbing onto his shoulder like a severely oversized parrot, almost causing the small boy to tip over from the change in weight. His head now stood a little higher than Naruto's now and his wings sheltered the boy under their protective shade.

"Well then, as your new lifelong soulmate and companion, I guess I'll have to teach you everything I know about us dragons. So what do you say... friends?" Naruto just smiled happily and looked over to the small creature before nodding his head in approval.

"Yeah... friends."

The boy then felt his stomach begin to rumble loadly, gaining a curious stare from his new companion. He looked back up to the small creature and blushed with a tinge of embarrassment.

"Hehehe... so then, wanna get something to eat? I dunno about you but I'm pretty starved." Ryuukmi just bared his teeth in an awkward grin.

"That sounds great! So, what do you humans have for food out here?" Naruto just walked out of his room with Ryuukimi on his shoulders, smiling as he made his way to the kitchen to get some food.

"I'll show you. You're gonna love this one." He didn't know why, but he felt a deep attachment for this dragon even though they had never met before. It was almost as though they had known each other for a lifetime and trust came easily between the two. The boy could also feel similar emotions coming from his new companion as well as something else a little bit more painful.

"Um... Ryuukimi-chan, your claws are kinda digging into me."

"Oh, hehehe... sorry Naruto-chan."

--

Iruka was slowly making his way through the dusty streets of Konoha, heading home after a long day at the academy. It had been a few days since Naruto had come back from his little _'vanishing act'_ and the man had taken him home thinking that he would wake up soon afterwards. Unfortunately for this chunin, things involving Naruto were never that simple and the next day saw him growing concerned about his pupil's wellbeing. After a third day had passed with still no change, Iruka eventually decided to take the boy to a hospital to have him checked out, only to be told that Naruto was currently enveloped in a comatose-like state and that he may be out for quite some time. Furthermore, after examining the strange markings on his body, it was discovered that the golden tattoos seemed to carry some kind of foreign chakra in them.

Any attempts to gain blood samples by the nurses were all futile, because every time they tried to, the needles would break against Naruto's skin, causing the markings on his body to glow brightly in warning. It was almost as though they were protecting the boy while he slumbered, keeping him from any outside harm. Iruka eventually decided to take Naruto home and allow him to rest in the comfort and safety his bedroom, rather than the lonely confines of a hospital ward where he was at risk of abduction or sabotage. The man new that he would have to continue his duties at the academy, so he was forced to leave the boy at home during the days that passed. Sometimes Kurenai or Kakashi would opt to look after him when they could, even Anko offered her services, but Iruka was a bit uncomfortable about leaving Naruto alone with someone so... unpredictable.

Strangely enough, he would often hear Naruto moaning as he slept at night, almost as though he were reliving some traumatic dream. He wondered if it was the Kyuubi's doing, but wrote that off after hearing the names 'Kitoryouka' and 'Kurayami' being mentioned when Naruto spoke in his sleep. But the most unusual event to take place during the past week was the death of the only surviving shinobi that attacked them, while he was comatose in hospital. According to a report from the ANBU that guarded the man, he went into cardiac arrest late in the evening and was declared dead soon afterwards after the nurses failed to resuscitate him. Iruka knew that someone must have caused the sudden demise, but there were no clues left behind to suggest sabotage. Now their only lead as to who was behind the attack on Naruto was dead and the trail was lost to them.

Iruka shook off the negative thoughts that clouded in his mind, before refocussing on the issue of Naruto's well being. "Well, I guess it's time to see how the little twerp is doing..." Iruka turned into the street where his house resided and walked up to his gate. After stepping up to the door, he took a deep breath. "I wonder if he'll be up today." The man was about to open the door when he heard a faint voice coming from inside.

"Hey, that was my ramen, eat your own will ya!" The chunin's heart began to race inside his chest when he heard the all too familiar expression. It seemed as though Naruto was finally awake and not only that, but he was in the company of someone else as well. Not being one to question, Iruka quickly unlocked the door and raced inside, worried about Naruto being harmed by some stranger.

"Naruto, thank Kami you're finally..." The chunin paused in his tracks as he entered into the living room, only to see Naruto sitting on the sofa with his arms stretched out in front of him, holding what looked like cupped ramen in his hands.

But what really shocked the scarred man was the fact that there was that what looked like an oversized lizard with wings was sitting on the boy's shoulders trying to grab the ramen from his grasp while sticking out its long tongue out in an attempt to get a taste of the steaming broth. Both boy and creature paused in their battle for food and turned to look at the flabbergasted Iruka.

"Oh... um hello Iruka-sensei. Good to have you home..." Naruto just allowed a nervous smile while his companion just bared his teeth in a wild, awkward grin.

"What... is... going..." The slurring chunin just collapsed to the floor on the spot, much to Naruto's distress, and soon the boy was leaning over his sensei trying to shake him out of his comatose state.

"Do all humans fall over when they see a dragon for the first time?" Ryuukimi enquired, wondering if dragons always had this effect on people. Naruto just let out a deep sigh and shook his head from side to side. After a few moments of desperate attempts to wake the chunin, Iruka's body finally began to stir.

"Ugghh!!! W... what's going on? Who's there?" Iruka's eyelids slowly began to open once more, allowing the light of the room to enter his gaze. His swimming vision slowly came back into focus, revealing the concerned expression of the young boy that lived with him. "N... Naruto... you're finally awake." The boy just grinned nervously, wondering what he meant by _'finally'_.

"I thought I saw something just now, like a big lizard with wings. I guess the excitement just got to me." Naruto's face was now begining to turn red while he scratched his cheek.

"Ehehehe... um yeah, about that..." Just then, Ryuukimi burst over Naruto's shoulders and grinned wildly at the chunin sensei.

"Hi there, I'm real!!!" Iruka immediately burst to his feet, almost scaring the living daylights out of both Naruto and his new companion.

"Waahhhh!!!! What the hell is that thing Naruto?" Ryuukimi just pouted in disapproval as Iruka spoke and pointed in his direction.

"Seriously, doesn't anyone in your village know what a dragon is?" Naruto just shrugged his shoulders while Iruka's eye began to twitch.

"A... dragon...? Naruto, what exactly is going on here?"

--

The rest of that hour was spent with Naruto explaining his trip into the ancient ruins that his scroll had brought him too, as well as his meeting with his ancestor. He also explained where his bloodline originated and how it was almost destroyed by an ancient demon. After that he also explained the summoning contract that he signed that eventually lead to his meeting with Ryuukimi. After a long winded recap, Naruto let out a deep breath and then looked up to his sensei, who was now scratching his chin in thought.

"Well, that explains a lot" Iruka sighed, after sitting through the entire story. "I guess your bloodline is more complicated than we all originally thought. Who could have known that it could give you access to such interesting abilities?" Naruto just grinned and leaned against his sensei, who had since sat besides the boy on the soft couch. Ryuukimi, who had also taken up a position on the boy's lap, shuffled uncomfortably in the movement.

"It's pretty cool huh Iruka-sensei? I mean the scroll has so many really neat stuff in it, it even has some cool jutsu I can learn." The chunin just stared disapprovingly at his pupil. Although he was glad Naruto seemed so happy with his discovery, he was still upset about the boy's apparent recklessness.

"Naruto, you know how dangerous it is when you tamper with things you don't know anything about. Signing a summoning contract isn't something to be taken so lightly. What if the creature you contracted tried to hurt you, or worse?" The small dragon on Naruto's lap scowled in disapproval, upset at the implied danger he may have been.

"I would never do anything to hurt Naruto-chan, he's my friend!" Naruto nodded in agreement, before petting Ryuukimi approvingly on is head.

"He's right Iruka-sensei, Ryuukimi would never do that." The chunin just sighed in frustration.

"I know that Naruto, but in future you're going to have to be more careful. From now on, I want you to talk with me first before you try anything with that scroll, do you understand?" Naruto just lowered his head with guilt, realizing that the man was right.

"I understand Iruka-sensei..." The said chunin then smiled in approval and put his arm around the boy, causing him to lighten up as well.

"That's good, I'm glad." Iruka then ran his fingures through the boy's blond hair, while his eyes wandered over Naruto's body. He was relieved to see the body art that covered him before now absent. After gaining a nervous chuckle from the boy, Iruka regained his focus and began to speak once more.

"Now there's something else I need to discuss with you Naruto, something very important." Naruto looked up to his sensei and locked in with his eyes as the man stepped of the sofa to kneel in front of him. It was a rather uncomfortable situation for both of them and Naruto just waited silently for the man to speak. "Naruto, I've been thinking about a few things lately, especially with what's been going on these past few days. I've finally come to a decision that I want you to know about."

Naruto could feel the sudden amount of nervousness coming from Iruka's touch as the man held both of his hands in his own and began to grow uncomfortable himself. "You see, the thing is... Naruto I wanted to know... I wanted to know if it's alright if I... adopt you?" The excruciating silence that followed was almost deafening.

Ryuukimi looked between the two humans with a silent curiosity, wondering exactly what this notion of the word _'adopt'_ meant to them. Iruka all the while just silently waited, trying to feel for any emotions that would tell him what the boy thought, only there were too many feelings to sort through and it was almost impossible to tell.

"Do... you really mean it Iruka-sensei? Are you sure you really want to adopt me? I mean..." Iruka just smiled before nodding his head.

"Yes Naruto, I've come to realize just how important you are to me and now I want to be there for you always. I want to see you grow up and become stronger, to be there on the day you graduate from the academy not only as a teacher, but as a father as well. I want to see how you live your life and become a fine man that I'm sure will make me proud." Naruto's eyes began to turn gold in the sudden rush of emotions that filled into him. Even his small companion seemed to shuffle nervously at the sudden flood of feelings that came from the boy he sat on.

"So what do you say kiddo? Do you want to be a family?" Naruto couldn't even speak, in fact he could hardly breath at all. He found his lungs burning in his chest, desperately urging him to take a gasp of air.

What he was being offered now was something he never imagined would come about in his entire life, something he had longed for since the day he could first dream. The cold nights and terrible tortures at the orphanage were only endured because of the hope Naruto held for one day finding a family to call his own. There were a few more moments of deftly silence that followed before the boy suddenly leapt into his sensei's arms while letting out a sudden breath of air he didn't know he had been holding. The boy just squeezed as tightly as his small body could muster, almost crushing the life out of the man who had given him so much and was now once again offering the world to him. Iruka didn't need to know anything more than that, he could already feel Naruto's answer without the boy having to say a thing.

"I'll... take that as a yes?" Both he and Naruto chuckled softly as the man spoke. It was the same thing he asked the boy the night he first offered the child a home. The young blond just nodded on Iruka's shoulders, hiding the biggest smile he had ever adorned in his life, as well as the soft tears of joy that fell from his face. His body was quivering violently in the chunin's arms, almost as though it were trying to deny what was happening to him. It was only then they heard the muffled cries of help coming from an unknown location that he finally released his hold.

"Um... guys... I realize that this is really important and all, but you're kinda killing me down here!" Naruto gasped in shock and quickly jumped back away from Iruka, realizing that Ryuukimi was still in between them. The young dragon fell back into the boy's arms as Naruto caught his fall, gasping desperately for fresh air. The boy then lifted him back up to his shoulders, allowing him to perch while using his head as a pillow.

"Sorry about that buddy, I forgot you were there." The said dragon just pouted, causing Iruka to giggle at the sight of it. He looked surprisingly familiar to the way Naruto looked when using the same expression, even though they were a completely different species to one another. After a few brief moments of joy and laughter at the young dragon's expense, Naruto looked back up to his sensei and allowed another warm smile.

"Does this mean Ryuukimi is a part of the family as well?" Iruka just nodded his head and pet the creature on the head.

"Sure thing kiddo, if that's what you want." Iruka moved his hand and held it firmly against Naruto's whiskered cheek while using his thumb to wipe away the single tear that fell from the boy's eye. He then released his hold and took out a small document, before placing it on the nearby table.

"Naruto, I've already made all the arrangements with the Hokage, all you need to do is sign this piece of paper on the dotted line and we'll be a family forever." The boy didn't even blink as he took the pen offered into his hands and hastily wrote his signature on the dotted line. It was one of the first things Iruka had taught him to do when they began their writing lessons, that and spelling his own name and surname. After he was done with the rather messy endeavor, he looked back up to the scarred chunin with a massive grin still etched on his face.

"It's all done Iruka-sensei! Now we're a family right?" The boy cheered, while jumping up and down on the spot. Iruka nodded his head before smiling back.

"Yeah, but you're gonna have to call me 'dad' from now on kiddo." Naruto choked up slightly when he heard that, but it didn't stop him from smiling brightly.

"Yeah... dad..."

--

Only a few minutes later saw the three newly formed family members making their way through the village streets, walking towards the training ground where Naruto practiced with his senseis. Iruka had since sent messages to the other three jounin that looked after Naruto, explaining the situation as well as the fact that the boy was now awake again. Ryuukimi was perched on Naruto's shoulders while his two front limbs rested on the boy's soft blond hair, using it as a pedestal for his enjoyment. The young dragon would search everywhere around himself, eagerly eyeing out this new unfamiliar environment that Naruto called home. Of course, Naruto also got his due rewards for carrying his smaller companion, because the shade the dragon's wings offered was a huge relief under the sweltering afternoon sun. Iruka silently envied the boy's luck and wondered if having a dragon as a companion was such a bad idea after all.

Every now and again they would pass by a group of villagers, who would in turn stare Naruto down coldly while whispering cruel words under their breath. Ryuukimi immediately noticed the boy's growing discomfort and began growling fiercely at the said adults, causing them to back away at the sight of such an unusual creature. Naruto noticed the interesting development and began to giggle softly under his breath. Having a dragon as a friend definitely had its upsides and the villagers were easily intimidated by the low growls and sharply bared teeth. Ryuukimi looked down at his bubbling friend and then noticed the strange marks on the boy's cheeks. He haden't noticed them before now, but he knew that none of the other humans had them.

"Hey, Naruto, what are those whisker marks on your cheeks?" Naruto lifted his hand to touch against the whiskerlines that ran across his face.

"Oh, those. Well I'm not really sure what they are. I've had them for as long as I can remember." Ryuukimi then reached down and touched against the fine lines, causing Naruto to giggle as he did. "Hehehe... hey stop that, it's really ticklish. They're really sensitive you know." The young dragon grinned in satisfaction, realizing that he had an advantage over his young friend. He lifted his tail up to the boy's face and began to gently touch against his whiskers, gaining another giggle from Naruto.

The game eventually went into full swing as Naruto desperately tried to shield his face, avoiding the probing tail from landing its sensitive mark. Iruka watched with a warm smile as the two laughed in the warm sunlight. Today was just getting better and better for them. Maybe it was a sign that thing were finally starting to turn around in Naruto's life. The boy wasn't even as clingy as he used to be and managed to walk without holding firmly onto Iruka's side. After a few more moments of fun, NAruto then looked up to his new father and smiled happily.

"So Iru... I mean... dad... how long have I been out for exactly?" The chunin scratched his chin in thought.

"Well, I think it's been about ten days since you came back. It's already Wednesday again now." Naruto's eyes just widdened like saucers.

"WHAT!!! A whole week and a half!!! How the hell did I go that long without ramen!?!?" Iruka just laughed at the strange outburst. The boy was more curious about his stomach's survival capabilities than he was about his own unusual experience.

That's Naruto for you...

--

After walking for a few more minutes, they eventually found themselves standing on the same training field that Naruto had used before, its grassy field having long since been purged of the signs of their previous battle. The young boy caught sight of the other three jounin waiting under a nearby tree and quickly called out to them.

"Hey guys, long time no see!!!"

The said group immediately jumped to their feet at the voice, turning around to see a happily smiling Naruto approaching them. Kakashi rubbed his one eye when he caught sight of the new headgear adorning the boy's blond hair, making sure that he wasn't just seeing things. When he realized that the said headgear was looking back at him with what looked like a toothy grin, he almost lost his mask in surprise.

**"What the #$% is that?**" A well timed covering of Naruto's ears by his equally youthful companion, as well as the dragon himself having his own ears covered by Iruka, saved the two youngsters from a blatantly swearing Kakashi. Kurenai just shook her head angrily, which was now adorned with a popping blood vessel.

**"You stupid idiot!!!!"** Naruto and Ryuukimi both watched on with a painful cringe as the red-eyed jounin slammed her fist violently into the side of the man's face, sending him hurtling across the field and into a nearby unlucky tree.

"I've seen Sakura do that to some of the boys at school before" Naruto murmured to himself, wondering if all girls had a secret bloodline that gave them super strength whenever a boy pissed them off. The two then watched as the now fuming woman walked over to the near crippled Kakashi and picked up his limp body from the ruins, before shaking him violently in her cruel grasp.

"Watch your tongue would you baka, we've got kids listening here!!!" Naruto's dragon companion just shook his head nervously at the sight of it while Naruto giggled under his breath. Even Iruka couldn't help but chuckle at the humor of the situation.

"Wow... she's scary" Ryuukimi gulped, wondering if all of NAruto's friends were so dangerous. Unfortunately, his fears were answered when the two then turned to Anko, who had also just finished enjoying the scene of destruction. The said woman quickly caught sight of Naruto's new companion and immediately blew up with glee.

**"Look at _him_****!!!! He's so cute!!!!"** The sadistic jounin's eyes quickly turned heart shaped while she clasped her hands together swaying back and forth in her own fantasies. "Can I touch him!?!... I promise I'll try not to accidently kill him..." Naruto just took a careful step back while an equally nervous Ryuukimi gulped in dismay.

"Alright, I take it back... _**she**_ is scary." This time Naruto silently agreed with a fearful gulp of his own.

Luckily for the two youngsters, Iruka came to their rescue and quickly calmed the temptress down before she crushed the life out of the dragon with her vice like hold. Once the others were done with their long overdue greetings, Naruto walked over to a nearby tree and sat under the cool shade that it offered. He quickly removed Ryuukimi off his shoulders, happy to relieve himself from the claws that dug into him. The two just sat quietly inder the tree, allowing their own exhaustion to set into them while the other shinobi watched from a distance. Kurenai turned to a happily smiling Iruka and let out a sigh.

"So, mind telling us what's going on? Although we're all relieved to see Naruto up and about again, I think there are some things we need to know." The chunin turned to his patiently waiting companions and began to explain everything Naruto had told him, from the encounter with his past, to the details of his bloodlines abilities. All of them were completely enthralled by the events that had taken place. After everyone had been filled in, Kurenai was the first to respond.

"Well, I guess that explains everything that's happened so far. Now we know how his doujutsu works and why I couldn't stop it from affecting me. It was a spiritual attack more than anything else." Kakashi nodded his head in agreement of her analysis before adding his own two cents.

"It also explains the descriptions of what he was seeing when I trained with him. He can see the spiritual energy in every living thing around him and can form a link with a person's soul through eye contact. He can also link with a person's physical body through touch, which is how he was able to heal Lee from his wounds after our battle." Anko didn't have much to say, because she was too busy admiring the small dragon that adorned Naruto's lap. She couldn't help but giggle with glee as she watched the two slowly begin to doze off.

After going through all the newfound details of Naruto's abilities, the four decided on the next step to take in the boy's training. None of them could really help him anymore with regards to his bloodline. The scroll he possessed was more useful in that respect now and only Naruto himself could read it. At first, they thought of calling it off there, realizing that they had already achieved their goals with the boy, but then the issue of his own protection began to surface once more.

After a brief debate on the boy's safety in the village, it was eventually decided that Naruto would be trained in other areas to prepare him for the dangers that obviously faced him, including this impending threat from a certain elusive demonic entity that they knew little about. After setting up a new schedule, they then turned to the said boy, who was almost falling asleep under the tree.

"Alright Naruto, we're done here, you can come over now." The boy slowly stumbled to his feet, while gently placing an equally exhausted Ryuukimi back up onto his shoulders. Naruto then wavered up to his sensei's and stood at attention while Kakashi spoke.

The masked jounin proceeded to explain their new training schedule to the boy. Kakashi would now be handling Naruto's ninjutsu training, as well as finding and developing the boy's natural chakra affinity. Kurenai would be teaching him how to detect and avoid genjutsus and even how to use some of them as well. She would also be giving him some taijutsu training, mostly because she was the only teacher outside of Iruka who could touch him physically. Lee, of course, had already previously agreed to be his sparring partner as well, much to the red-eyed jounin's delight.

It was also finally decided that Anko would now be a part of the training schedule as well, only she would be tutoring Naruto how to make better use of his weapons in combat, as well as giving him more advanced stealth training. The boy already had an advantage over his peers at the academy due to his enhanced chakra control exercises with Kurenai, so it was just a case of showing him how to apply that while moving or in battle. She was also the most experienced when it came to using summoned creatures in battle, so it wasn't surprising when she suggested that she trained Naruto how to effectively work with his newfound partner.

At first Naruto was a bit nervous about having a psychotic jounin, who delighted in the subtle art of causing others pain, to be teaching him, but after seeing the sincere smile on Anko's face when she heard of her inclusion he eventually decided to give her a chance. After all, psychotic or not, she did go out of her way to save him from harm only a few days before and that was a plus in his books. Iruka would still continue to help the boy in his studies in order to improve his academy grades. After everything was decided upon, the group finally said their good-byes and went their separate ways, deciding that Naruto should be given the chance to recover this evening before they started training again.

"Alright kiddo, it's time to get going now." Naruto looked up to his new father, smiling as the man placed his hand on his shoulders.

"I'm ready now... dad..." the man just pulled Naruto under his arm and held him closely, while trying to avoid Ryuukimi's flailing wings. The creature didn't seem to mind the contact between the two, in fact the young dragon seemed rather comfortable snuggling between their warm bodies while allowing his eyes to fall into sleep.

"Wow, I think he was more tired than me" Naruto giggled as he felt the exhaustion emanating from the contact between them.

"Well that figures, you have been sleeping for the last few days after all."

The three of them then made their way back home together, a home that was now the holder of a newly forged family. Once they had arrived back in it's safety, Ryuukimi poofed away in a cloud of smoke after giving one last tired goodbye to Naruto. They both promised to see each other often, which was enough to ease Naruto's disappointment once the small dragon was gone. After that, the two of them made there way to bed, but not before Naruto shared one last tight squeeze with his new father. Once the boy was covered in his sheets, the last thing that met his eyes was the shimmering golden scroll that sat on the shelf beside him, a scroll that held many secrets that would change the boy's life forever. Naruto allowed himself to fall into the comforting embrace of sleep as the happy memories of his most eventful day yet seeped into his slowly healing heart.

--

Outside the stone walls that surrounded the village of Konoha, a new menace slowly made it's way through the darkness. It's eyes set upon the destination of its goal. The tall, well built man knelt to the floor and ran his hands against the soft grass, feeling the energy flowing in the earth around him.

"There is a barrier protecting this village. If I enter, they will know I'm here." The man then stood to his feet again, propping up the sword sheathed at his side while cracking his neck in preparation.

_"Do not stop moving until you reach your destination. Your presence will not be noticed as long as I am with you. The boy is close." The man just bowed his head approvingly._

"As you command, my lord." The dark figure then stepped forward confidently, knowing he was close to reaching his goal. The dark cloak that covered his body flickered precariously in the wind while dark storm clouds began to gather in the skies. A dark omen began to settle over the village of Konoha, threatening the life of a certain young boy as he slept quietly in the comfort of his home.

--

Alright, I hope it was a good chapter. It was a bit difficult for me to write mostly because of how I've been feeling lately, but I'll get back into things soon enough.  
Thanks again to those who have supported me and convinced me to continue writing. I owe this all to you.


	18. Chapter 18 Approaching Menace

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey everyone! I knew things would become interesting with the inclusion of Naruto's dragon summon Ryuukimi. I just couldn't resist!!! Lets just say that I intend to have him feature throughout the story quite a bit, unlike in canon where Naruto hardly ever makes use of his summoning contract.  
Anyway, here's the next issue of my story!

Hope you enjoy the next chapter! :)

--

**Chapter 18 - Approaching Menace**

The darkened shadow of heavily looming clouds met with the rising of an early dawn, covering Konoha in its blanket of emptiness and cold. The wind slowly began to pick up through the otherwise empty streets, carrying with them the ill omen that now swept into the village, while a single cursed soul entered inside its great walls.

"We are here, my master."

The cold voice of a heavily burdened traveller rang deeply into the air, scattering its foul menace across the carrying wind. A short moment passed before an even more terrifying voice spoke in answer, whispering its dark message.

_"Good, you have done as well as expected. Now, we must find the child and bring to his soul the pain of destruction._"

The dark haired man slowly bowed his head and then began to step forward once more, passing through the massive gates that guarded Konoha's entry. His dark, black cloak bristled in the wind while the menacing sword that sat at his hip flashed in warning of his posed danger. The two guards that stood at the gates quickly ran out to meet the man, barring his passage from further entry.

"Stop right there! No one may enter this village without proper authorization." The soulless, pitch black eyes that hid behind the man's shadowed features burst into view as he raised his gaze to meet them, piercing their hearts with his tormenting stare. One of the guards took a uneasy step backwards, feeling the unusually high amount of cold killing intent radiating off this stranger's pupils.

"You're not from Konoha and are therefor considered dangerous" the other gulped, realizing that the man was obviously foreign. "Unless we have proper documentation clearing you for entry, you cannot pass any further." The shadow of a man just grunted under his breath, releasing a small amount of fear into the air around him. His ashen, shady skin began to crawl irritably, as if heading to the call of an unknown presence.

"I go where my master pleases and you simpletons will not stop me here. Your mere presence upsets him greatly." Both shinobi quickly removed kunai from their holsters, preparing for a battle if the man resisted their efforts, but their intimidating display was only met with an arrogant smirk on his part.

"What is your name? Why are you here?" One of the guards stammered.

"You pathetic excuses for shinobi are not even worthy of me unsheathing my sword, much less knowing my name." Before anyone knew what was happening, the darkened figure was directly in front of one of his aggressors.

"What... so fast..." The other guard could only watch with a blinking eye as their assailant placed his palm against his companion's chest and formed single handed seals against his ever beating heart. It was all over in the blink of an eye and the man's body promptly fell dead to the floor.

"So.... weak, a pathetic soul not even worth the time it takes to kill. Neither of you are worthy of the presence of my master. The life that flows in your veins will feed his hunger and your souls will satiate his thirst. You are lucky, you will not live to see the day Kurayami returns to the world to cleanse its stain of life in fire and ashes."

The figure then turned to meet his next prey, while his darkened eyes locked with their opponent's fearful gaze. There were no screams or cries for help, not even the silent winces of a sudden pain. There was only death, followed by an empty silence, a silence only broken by the voice of a malevolent evil.

_"We have waisted enough time here already. Continue your search for the boy at once, only his broken soul will satisfy me now._" With that, the man left the two cold, lifeless bodies in the dusty path behind him as he quietly strode into the still waking village, while carrying the curse of an ensuing darkness in his wake.

--

"Hello! Is anyone there!?"

The empty echoes of a terrified voice sounded throughout darkened hallways as a young boy slowly walked through the shadows. His trembling hands met one another in a firm clasp, desperately trying to ease the sudden pain that filled inside his heart as well as his own shivering body.

"Why am I here again?" Naruto murmured to himself, as he slowly stalked through the cold labyrinth that resided inside his heart.

He knew where he was and what it meant for him, but something felt off, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. There were no low growls to guide his path, nor any of the painful memories of his deepest fears. There was only darkness and silence without a single trace of hope or light to guide the boy's path.

"Hey fox! Are you there!? If this is some game to you, then it isn't funny!" There was no answer other than the empty echoes that returned to Naruto's ears.

After walking through the labyrinth for what felt like an eternity, Naruto eventually found himself stumbling upon the same darkened room that he knew to hold his tenant. The boy walked up to the large iron bars that stood at the end of the hall and tried to look inside, searching for the monster that resided behind its hold.

"Fox!!!"

There were still no answers and Naruto's eyes were quickly becoming lost in the endless darkness that stretched beyond the sealed gate. A shadowy gaze began to pierce through back at him, hiding in the shadows of his deepest fears. Its dark eyes began to tear into the boy's vulnerable soul, holding him in its grip as well as their cold promise of pain and suffering.

"S... someone..."

Naruto's ears began to fill with the torment sounds of a sinister laugh followed shortly by a voice that ruptured his soul with all its malice and cruelty. These were not the same eyes he had seen before, these held the owner of a different voice to that of the Kyuubi's.

_"Hehehe, I can taste your pain and fear floating through the air child, you are close now. Soon I will find you and consume your soul. There is no hope for you now, last wielder of the Tenraigan..."_

With that, the world fell into complete abyss and Naruto felt his body burning in the ensuing darkness. The boy tried to shout for help, but there were no sounds coming from his mouth. There was only silence and with it the empty embrace of loneliness.

--

**"Gaahhh!!!!" **

Naruto shot up from the comforting warmth of his bed, gasping desperately for air to relieve his burning lungs. The boy's heart was racing from fear and his skin still tingled with the cruel touch of darkness.

"I'm safe... I'm safe. No-one's here to hurt me."

Naruto continued to verbally reassure himself, while taking a brief look around his darkened room. There was no warm sunlight to greet him this morning, only the shadow of a stormy sky. Naruto looked outside his window with a nervous shudder, sensing the danger of a terrible omen being carried by the flailing wind. He couldn't help but feel as though his life were in peril, it was almost as though his soul were trying to warn him of some hidden danger that approached.

"Guess I should get ready for school then..."

Naruto slowly slunk out of his bed and stepped into the hallway. He could hear Iruka working in the kitchen, making their early morning breakfast as he usually did. The boy then turned towards the bathroom and proceeded to get ready for class. A few moments later saw both of them leaving the safety of their home before heading into the chilling weather outside. As son and father made their way through the village towards the safety of the academy, Naruto rubbed his arms against his shoulders, trying to warm his body from the icy wind that blew against them. Iruka noticed the boy's efforts to stay warm and quickly put his arms around him, while pulling him closer.

"Hey kiddo, there's no need to be so scarce. I'm here if you need me to keep you warm." Naruto looked up to his new father with a warm, albeit shaky smile and placed his arms around the man's waist.

"Th... thanks dad..."

Iruka could feel the quivering of Naruto's body in his arms as well as the fear coming from his touch. It was something that disturbed him greatly. It was chilly, but not so cold as to bring about such a reaction in the boy's body. It was almost as though there was something else carried with the weather, something that tormented Naruto's soul. Luckily for them both, the academy wasn't to far away and soon Naruto and Iruka were safe behind the protection of its walls. The chunin could immediately feel the relief in the boy's heart and began to relax himself once more. Once they had entered their classroom, Naruto made his way up to his seat, shuffling past a curious Kiba and a yapping Akamaru.

"Hey there! long time no see dobe..." Kiba smirked, applying an undertone of sarcastic wit to his voice. "We were all beginning to think you finally had the smarts to drop out of the academy before you embarrassed yourself any more."

Naruto just ignored the boy's taunts, as well as the cruel snickers of his classmates as they shared in the Inuzuka's joke. He just just continued to look down towards his new father figure and relaxed in the man's comforting presence. The chunin noticed the boy's stare and flashed a small wink, causing Naruto to chuckle softly under his breath. The knowledge of having a family, even if it was only a small one, was enough to make the boy forget all of his pains and worries, much less the arrogant insults of his neighbor. Kiba was growing increasingly annoyed by the lack of response from the blond, but before he could continue his harassment, Iruka called for the classes attention and started with the day's lesson.

--

As the hallways sounded with the call for break, Naruto silently watched as the rest of his class left to head outside. The boy patiently waited in his seat, searching the doorway for the arrival of his friend. Soon afterwards, Lee appeared outside, waving down the blond with a hearty grin and a warm disposition. It was enough to put a smile on Naruto's face immediately and the he was soon shooting from his seat to meet him.

"Bye dad!!! I'll see you after break!"

Iruka could only chuckle as the young boy enthusiastically shot out of the door and into the hallway. He quickly threw his arms around a surprised Lee, who was somewhat shocked by the overly cheerful display, and then turned back to his new father with a bright smile. Lee followed suit soon afterwards and bowed down to the man with a show of respect.

"Morning Iruka-sama, it is a pleasure as always." Iruka just nodded his head in return before waving them on their way. As soon as the two boys disappeared out of view, the man let out a deep sigh.

"Wow, that kid's way too polite for his own good. He needs to learn to relax a bit more. Then again, I guess it's good for Naruto to have such an upstanding figure to look up to as a role model."

Lee and Naruto made there way to the same swings they always found themselves at during their breaks. The blond boy's face was filled with the bright smile of a glowing soul and Lee couldn't help but wonder what happened to put his younger companion in such good spirits.

"Ano Naruto-kun, you're looking good today" the boy mumbled as they swayed back and forth in the cool wind. Naruto turned towards his friend and allowed his grin to widen even more. Lee could see that Naruto was itching to say something just by the way his body shivered with excitement. The boy was about to explode on the spot, but quickly relieved his built up emotions in a single cry of joy.

**"I have a dad now!!!"** Lee almost tipped over and fell of his swing as the boy beside him suddenly blurted out the good news, causing a few of the nearby kids to look curiously over in their direction.

"Isn't it great! Iruka-sensei adopted me yesterday! I'm so happy I finally have a father!" Lee couldn't help but smile as he watched Naruto light up with glee. He had known for a while now that Naruto had been taken in by Iruka after he had been kicked out of his orphanage, but the boy would never disclose what happened to him at the god forsaken building where he once lived. But to hear that the chunin was now adopting Naruto as well was news indeed.

"I'm really happy for you Naruto-kun, it's really good to see you smiling so much." Naruto just nodded his head approvingly and then looked down to his swaying feet. His eyes began to fill with the golden tinge that signified his flustering emotions, before flashing back to their original ocean blue colour.

"Now, I finally have everything I've always dreamed about." Lee furrowed his brows in confusion, looking over the boy as he continued to explain in a near whisper. "I finally have a home to keep me safe and warm at night, I'm finally starting to live my dreams of becoming stronger and I have people that care for me watching me every step of the way. I also finally have a family now and..." Naruto then looked back up to the dark haired boy that sat beside him, his eyes locking with the dark orbs that stared back into his gaze. "... and I finally have a true friend and a big brother... to watch over me..."

Lee almost choked up into tears, but the older boy just bit back his lip and retained his composure. Of course, his facial expression wasn't doing him any justice and Naruto couldn't help but giggle at the sight of his cringing bottom lip.

"Lee... I just wanted to say thanks... for always being there for me. I couldn't have gotten through these past few days without you...." Lee just raised his hand to stop the boy before he continued.

"There's no need for thanks Naruto-kun. The truth is, you've done a lot more for me than you could ever realize as well. You're also my first true friend, the first person to accept me for who I am as a person and I appreciate that." Both boys sat in complete silence for a moment afterwards, allowing themselves to bask in the feelings that flowed through the air.

Naruto was about to say something else when he caught sight of a certain young girl staring in his direction. Lee noticed the boy quickly turning his head to the ground before blushing with a slight tinge of red. He looked up to see the cause of his discomfort, only to catch sight of the Hyuuga heiress looking over towards them.

"Hmmm, maybe not everything yet..." he mumbled quietly to himself. He then turned back to his companion with a sly grin on his face.

"Oi Naruto, who's that girl over there?" Naruto just flinched uncomfortably as Lee spoke.

"S.. she's a girl from my class, her name's Hinata. I don't know why but she keeps on looking at me all the time." Lee just snickered at the pure innocence of his friend. It was obvious that this girl had a crush on him just by the way she looked, but Naruto was to naive and young minded to notice. Sensing a great opportunity to bring the boy out of his almost impenetrable shell, Lee stood up from his swing and walked over to the Hyuuga.

"Hey, w... where are you going?" Naruto stammered, as he watched his friend walking off into the distance. When he saw Lee leading the white eyed girl back towards him, he couldn't help but cringe in sudden discomfort.

"Hey Naruto, I asked if she wanted to hang out with us for a while. You don't mind do you?" Naruto forced a heavy gulp down his throat before briskly shaking his head from side to side.

"N... no, it's alright..." Lee then nudged the timid girl forward towards his equally shy blond friend, eliciting a small yelp of panic from her as he did. Naruto couldn't help but quiver at the Hyuuga's untimely approach, afraid of her being so close to touching him.

"Well, aren't you going to say hello Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked over to the dark haired boy with a nervous cringe and then looked back to the girl standing besides him.

"H... hello Hinata-san..." the boy gulped nervously. Hinata began to glow a furious shade of red as Naruto spoke to her directly and desperately tried to keep herself from collapsing on the spot. Lee watched on with a humorous grin as the girl stammered her reply.

"Good.. m.... morning Na.. Naruto-kun." Naruto's eyes began to turn gold in the uncomfortable feelings he felt seeping inside of him. He didn't know why he felt so uneasy, but that didn't change the fact that he was now openly displaying his emotions. Lee immediately noticed the poorly developing situation and let out an untimely cough.

"Ahem!" The blond noticed his friends warning and quickly squeezed his eyes closed, while forcing an unusual grin onto his whiskered face.

Lee just slapped his forehead in disbelief, these two were more alike than one would think at first sight. Apart from both being impossibly shy, neither of them were very good at hiding their emotions at all, in fact, they both had clearly visible warnings to signify their distress. Hinata just glowed like a new-year's bonfire gone bad while Naruto's eyes turned into beacons of pure gold. Luckily for him, the heiress was too busy looking down at her own feet to notice the boy's change in iris colour.

After a few more brief moments of panic, the three of them eventually settled down a bit more and began to speak amongst themselves, although it was Lee who did most of the talking while his two younger companions just sat quietly in each other's company. Off in the distance, Iruka watched from a conveniently placed window as the entire scene unfolded while quietly applauding Lee's efforts to draw Naruto out.

"Well, it seems Naruto has a secret crush. Who would have thought?" The chunin just giggled into his hand as he watched the trio's strange antics. Hinata would nervously prod her fingers together the entire time they spoke while Naruto just stared at his fidgeting toes. This was turning out to be quite the day indeed.

Unfortunately, little did the three children know of the dark terror that watched from a distance, peering into the academy grounds from the edges of its gates. The shadowy figure's gaze locked onto the young blond that was his assigned target, searching for the right moment to act while his hand gently caressed against the hilt of his sword in silent anticipation.

"Shall I initiate the plan now master?" The man's skin began to crawl once more as a shady voice answered, filling his ears with the chill of darkness.

_"No, it is not yet time to take the boy's life. For now we shall simply observe him and see what it is that he holds most dear to his heart. I will destroy everything that is precious to him and with that his soul will be shattered. Only once there is nothing left but sadness and grief will I finally offer him the mercy of taking his life."_ The man bowed his head in obedience and then continued to watch over his prey, observing every interaction the boy made with his newfound friends.

Iruka, who was watching from the window, caught sight of the shadowy figure that stood at the edge of the academy grounds and noticed that he was staring directly towards Naruto.

"I wonder who that guy is?"

Before the chunin even knew what happened, the figure caught sight of his gaze and then disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving in his wake the empty ground where he once stood. Iruka rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't in fact just seeing things, but he couldn't help but feel the anguished knot form in his stomach warning him of impending danger.

"This can't be good."

--

After another long but rather eventful day at the academy, Naruto, Iruka and Lee found themselves wandering back onto the secluded training field that they had all come to grow familiar with. The dark clouds that loomed over the village earlier that morning had since began to clear and Naruto was greeted with the warming sight of his trainers waiting for their arrival. Everyone shared their greetings as the group approached, including Anko who was now a part of the exercises the boy would undergo. The sadistic jounin just shot off a massive, disturbing grin at the young blond, jumping up and down with an excited glee at the thought of being able to train him. Of course, this only prompted a nervous gulp on the boy's part.

"So, I assume you're ready for some fun eh?!" Naruto didn't know whether to nod his head or run away from the purple haired jounin, especially considering her estranged ideas of _'fun' _usually involved someone dying or being tortured, so he just settled for a deflated sigh.

"**GOOD!!!** I can't wait to get started!! Now I want you to summon your little friend, he'll be joining us for this exercise." Lee turned to the nervous blond beside him with a startled look of confusion on his face.

"Little friend?" Naruto's eyes immediately lit up as he remembered his contract.

"Oh yes! I forgot to tell you! You still haven't seen Ryuukimi yet!" Naruto then quickly bit the tip of his thumb and formed some hand signs before slamming his palm into the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!!!" A small puff of smoke erupted from the ground followed by the shuffling of an unknown presence. Lee watched in silence as he waited for the smog to clear before hearing the excited yelp of a young voice.

**"Naruto-chan!!!"** A small winged creature jumped out from the white plume and landed on Naruto's chest, causing the boy to tip over and fall to his back. "I've been waiting all day for you to summon me!!! I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me." Naruto let out an uncontrolable chuckle as the playful dragon began to prod at his cheeks while pinning the boy to the floor.

"Hahahaha.... stop... Ryuukimi... it's ticklish... hehehe..."

Lee's jaw dropped to the ground in surprise as the small, unusual looking creature continued to have his way with a sensitive Naruto, while Anko just fluttered with an amused glee. After a few moments of laughter at Naruto's expense, the two youngsters eventually calmed down and the blond stood to his feet again, placing the now satisfied dragon on his shoulders. He was still holding his stomach with his hands, trying to ease his aching muscles from laughing so hard.

"Lee, this is Ryuukimi, he's my new dragon companion and soulmate, well that's what the contract said anyway." The said dragon just bared his teeth in a wide grin, displaying the sharp white edges for all to see. Lee quickly composed himself once again and gave a curious bow.

"It's good to meet you Ryuukimi-san. Any friend of Naruto's is a friend of mine." Ryuukimi just cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Hey, there's no need to be so serious." Lee then looked up from the ground and gave off a massive, sun embarrassing smile.

"Alright then, enough chit chat. It's time to start training!!!" Both Naruto and his small companion looked over to the excited, purple-haired jounin as she announced their training's start.

"Gee, you just had to put me with her didn't ya?" Ryuukimi sighed, realizing what this meant for him. Naruto just shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess we might as well get this over with."

The boy then split into four perfect copies before dividing himself amongst his teachers. Ryuukimi tagged along with the Naruto that went to train with Anko while Lee followed the one taught by Kurenai. The last remaining blond sat down with Iruka for his studies and just let out a deep sigh.

"I'm sure gonna have some strange memories after today." The chunin just laughed before petting Naruto's blond hair.

"Don't worry kiddo, you'll do just fine..."

--

"Alright, I guess we should start with the basics then?"

Both Naruto and Lee turned to Kurenai as she spoke, preparing themselves for the training ahead. Although Lee was already quite proficient at taijutsu compared to the other academy students, he just couldn't resist the chance to train with a jounin instructor, as well as his best friend.

"I want you two to have a sparring match between one another before I start our training. That way I can see your individual skill levels and can pick up where it is that you need development." Naruto turned to face the dark haired boy and took a deep gulp.

"Alright Naruto, lets do our best!!!" Lee blurted, before flashing a warm reassuring smile. The blond just nodded his head and then sank into an unusual taijutsu stance, spreading his legs further apart from each other and rasing his arms in front of himself.

Kurenai and Lee both watched with a slight fascination as the boy slowly clenched his fists, before abruptly releasing them again, opting instead to use open palms. Lee could see his hands begin to tremble as he did and quickly spoke to reassure his friend.

"There's no need to worry Naruto-kun. I swear I'm not going to hurt you." Naruto looked up to his smiling friend and took a deep gulp, trying desperately to recompose himself as well as hide his trembling. Kurenai immediately noticed what was going on, she walked up to the dark haired boy and whispered in his ear.

"Lee, I don't think Naruto's worried about you hurting him, in fact I think it's the complete opposite. He's more afraid of hurting you." Lee's eyes widened in surprise at the jounin's words.

Kurenai could see the pain in Naruto's expression when he first began to clench his fists. No doubt the thought of doing so reminded the boy of the cruel beatings he received from his wardens throughout his entire life up to that point. She silently wondered if Naruto could ever hit someone else with a closed fist after that, knowing that he was inflicting the same kind of painfully cruel blows, that he himself had once experienced, to another person as well.

"This... could cause some problems..."

The red-eyed jounin then stepped away from the two and then waved her hand for them to begin. Both of the boys just stood there for a moment, neither moving from their original starting position. It was obvious that they were both too worried about hurting one another to fight, but a quickly forced grunt on Kurenai's part snapped them out of their trance.

"Alright, lets get going!"

Lee quickly shot forward towards the blond boy in front of him while pulling his right hand back for a following strike. Of course, he didn't put as much power into it as he normally would, instead opting for a softer blow. He was surprised, however, when Naruto quickly side-stepped his attack and deflected his advancing fist with a gentle tap from his palm.

"Eh...?" Lee carried on with the momentum of his body and smoothly spun around into a high heel thrust, but his attack was once again found itself deflected by a quickly reacting Naruto. "How did he get so fast?" Lee thought to quietly to himself.

Kurenai could only watch with a startled twinge as the two boys continued with their sparring match. Naruto didn't once move to make a single blow himself and instead opted to deflect every attack made against him by using the palms of his hands, while Lee began to slowly build up his own punches into more powerful and sudden strikes to try and get through his guard. Although Naruto's style was a bit sloppy for the most part, it was none-the-less still effective.

It was clear that Lee wasn't using his full potential against his smaller and younger opponent, but it was still impressive that Naruto was able to hold his ground against the older boy so effectively. In fact, Naruto was hardly losing any ground to Lee at all. Kurenai knew that his prior training had a lot to do with his increase in both speed and agility, but even Naruto himself didn't realize just how much he had improved. Not to mention that this unusual style the boy was using had never been taught in the academy and was quite disorientating for his friend to handle.

After a few more moments of deadlocked combat, Lee eventually managed to slip past Naruto's guard and land a glancing blow on the boy's shoulder. Naruto stumbled backwards from the impact, losing his footing on the soft grass as well as his defensive stance. The blond could only watch as Lee shot forward once more, advancing with a drawn fist to inflict a final blow. He quickly closed his eyes and took a deep gulp, waiting for the sharp embrace of pain, but there was nothing.

"Lee?" The boy slwoly opened his eyes again, only to see his friend lowering the clenched fist from in right front of his face back down to his side.

"Well done Naruto-kun, that was an excellent display of prowess. I really enjoyed that match and you were really good too." Lee then flashed a warm smile to his friend, causing Naruto to blush slightly at the compliment before grinning in turn.

"Thanks Lee, you weren't too bad yourself!" Both boys just laughed at the blond's joke before Kurenai stepped in to interrupt their shining moment.

"That was a good display from you both, although I would like to know where you learned that style of defence Naruto." Naruto just scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, I kinda read about it in that scroll I was given but I didn't get very far. Apparently it's meant to go with my bloodline somehow but I'm still quite confused about how it works exactly." Kurenai nodded her head in understanding.

"Hmmm, that's interesting. I was going to work through different forms of taijutsu with you to find your niche, but apparently you've already done that yourself. Next time, I want you to bring your scroll with you so we can refer back to it when necessary. You'll have to explain what you've read to me as best you can and I'll try to work on your stance and posture as we go." Naruto bowed his head approvingly while hiding a satisfied smile.

"Yes Kurenai-sensei!" Kurenai just smiled at his childlike enthusiasm.

"Oh and Naruto..." The boy looked up nervously, catching the small glint of pride emanating from Kurenai's expression. "...you did really well today." The boy then turned to a grinning Lee, who winked at him with an approving gesture.

Naruto's other training regimes were all moving forward without _'too'_ much trouble. Anko, despite being a bit crude and disjointed in her approach to teaching, still managed to keep herself more or less under control... mostly less. The blond boy's aiming skills with a shuriken and kunai left much to be desired and the jounin sensei eventually resorted to using him as target practice until he got it right. This involved the said woman hurling all manner of pointed flying objects at Naruto, while in turn forcing him to hit a moving target as he did so.

Of course, this wasn't just for Anko's own amusement as much as it was for Naruto's development. After all, in a real battle, the enemy isn't going to patiently wait for you to attack first, so the boy had to get used to working under pressure, lots of pressure. A kid his age would normally complain about the overly harsh treatment, but Naruto resigned to knowing that he would have to get stronger in order to protect himself from those who would try to harm him.

After finally landing a score on his mark while avoiding Anko's endless barrage of death, Naruto was given a brief, approving nod from the jounin who then moved him onto other training. Anko walked the boy off to the side and told him to bring Ryuukimi as well, who had so far been watching from a further distance.

"Alright kid, it's time to start learning how to work with your overgrown lizard here." Ryuukimi just pouted in disapproval, scowling at the indignant reference.

"Hey, I'm a dragon alright. D. R. A. G. O. N... dragon! Is it so hard to get right?"

"Ya, ya, whatever" Anko replied, brushing off the creature's tantrum. "Look, I couldn't care if you were an experimental homing pigeon gone wrong, the fact is that neither of you two are going to last long in a real battle as you are now. A summoned creature is just like any other weapon one might use, it's an extension of a person's own body so you two will have to learn to work together as one. You have to flow with each other's movements and read one another's thoughts. Think of it as acting as a single being rather than two separate entities."

The purple haired jounin then picked up a small branch lying on the ground and hurled it up into the air before lifting her arm up towards the flying object.

"Look, I'll show you what I mean." Suddenly, a burst of snakes erupted from the sleeve of her coat and ensnared the wooden object before crushing it into a hail of splinters and leaves. Naruto and his companion both gasped in amazement at the surprising strength and accuracy of her attack.

"You see kid, it's not enough to just summon a creature to fight for you. You also have to guide and direct their attacks and work together as one, otherwise your partnership will do more harm to you than good. You need to play of each other's strengths and cover for one another's weaknesses, understand?" Naruto recollected his gaping mouth and bowed his head with a newfound respect for his teacher.

"I understand Anko-sama..." Anko just lit up with glee at the sudden show of respect, something she definitely wasn't used to.

"Ooohh, I can tell you and I are gonna have a great time together."

The rest of that afternoon saw Naruto undergoing many arduous training exercises. Kakashi tested for the boy's natural chakra affinity by using a unique form of paper that was sensitive to its flow and it was discovered that Naruto had a wind chakra type. Although the youngster was hoping for something more showy like fire or lightning, as most kids would, Kakashi quickly explained the numerous advantages of being a wind user as well as its strengths and weaknesses regarding the other elements. The boy's head began to fill with a kaleidoscope of thoughts and ideas when he heard that wind actually strengthened fire based jutsu's, although his jounin sensei couldn't quite make out why he seemed so excited all of a sudden.

After that was out of the way, the two started working on Naruto's nature manipulation by learning to cut a leaf in half with just his chakra. It was a very time consuming process because Naruto couldn't summon any more Shadow Clones to assist him without the risk of physical strain, so they had to resort to doing things the long way around. Luckily, being so young, Naruto absorbed anything he was taught like a sponge and Kakashi had no doubt that the boy would eventually get the hang of it.

--

"Whew... I'm beat..."

Naruto promptly crashed to the floor as his lungs burned away in his chest, desperately gasping for air, his body marked with the bruises and scratches of his rigorous exercises. The boy had trained for three hours non stop and had since dispelled his clones to gain the accumulated experience. As he lay there on the soft green grass, all the memories of his clones began to rush through his mind, while his body filled with his overbearing fatigue.

"My head really hurts now and I'm really hungry..." Ryuukimi followed his companion's lead and jumped up onto the boy's stomach before proceeding to rest his head against Naruto's torso. The small dragon just moved up and down with Naruto's breathing, following with the rhythmic rise and fall of the boy's chest while allowing his own short breaths to follow suite.

"I know... how you... feel. I could eat a... whole cow right now, I've seen my dad... do it before." Both youngsters just laughed tiredly at the thought of it, while enjoying the soft gentle breeze that fell against them and the warms sunlight that tickled their faces.

The others just watched as the two lay their spread out in the late afternoon sun. Even Lee felt the call of exhaustion and proceeded to lie quietly next to his friend. The two boys turned their heads to face one another, casuing Lee to grin curiously.

"Wow Naruto-kun, you look like you just got hit by a falling tree." Naruto just giggled lightly while shrugging off the cold chill running down his spine.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a tree but..." The boy then refocused his gaze on a certain purple-haired jounin, causing her to cringe slightly, followed shortly by the other jounin and Iruka as they all turned to look at the guilty Anko, who just shrugged under the pressure of their gaze.

"What?! I didn't do _**THAT**_ much to him!!! Why does everyone assume it's me all the time?" There was no answer, of course none was needed. "Oh all right! Maybe I used one or two shuriken too many..... or a few. But I swear the explosive tags weren't that dangerous!!!"

Kakashi decided there and then that this was a good time to leave everyone to their own devices and instead opted to whip out his precious novel. The masked jounin wondered off to the side of the group, trying to escape the loud protests while Iruka and Kurenai gave Anko a very big piece of their collective minds.

"Ahhh, now it's just you and me my love..." The man was about to flip through to his next page of his overly prized possession when his single eye caught sight of a shadowy figure in the distance. Kakashi quickly looked up, only to find the area of his gaze devoid of any inhabitants.

"Hmmm, something's off." The masked jounin could feel a strange amount of killing intent in the air, and it wasn't the one he felt coming from Iruka or Kurenai. He quickly put his novel away and turned back to his adult companions once more.

"Ahem... so, maybe we should call it a day. I'm sure Naruto is very tired by now and we've already done what we can." The other three adults looked over to the masked jounin, noticing the subtle look of distress in his eye.

"Alright then Naruto, it's time to get going" Iruka gulped, realizing something was wrong. The chunin walked over to where the boy was lying and offered his hand, helping Naruto back up to his feet again. The boy then raised Ryuukimi up off the grass and placed the small dragon on his shoulders before they set off for home once more.

"Buy guys! See you tomorrow!" The three jounin waved as Naruto, Lee and Iruka walked out of view with Ryuukimi in their midst, exiting the grassy training field to return home. Once the four were gone, their eyes met with each other once more, sending subtle communications through little more than their stares.

Once the message was across, Anko and Kurenai nodded towards Kakashi, before the three disappeared in a swirl of wind and leaves, reappearing in a darkened alleyway that held the presence of an unknown menace. The figure just let out a deep sigh and paused in his tracks.

"Ahhh. So it seems I have already been found... and so quickly as well. I must say, you impress me with your tenacity, to come here facing an unknown threat that you cannot possibly comprehend." The shadowy figure turned around on his feet to face his pursuers while emanating a deadly chill that swept across the air. The three jounin quickly fell into a battle stance, ready to face the new menace.

"You're here for Naruto aren't you? What do you want with him?" The man just simply ignored Kakashi's questions while allowing a confident smile to emanate off his lips. His skin began to crawl ominously, as the voice of a hidden evil began to fill into his blackened heart.

"So you are the chosen guardians who protect the child from harm, the ones who averted our first attack. My master will enjoy feeding on your forsaken souls."

--

A dangerous new threat reveals itself to Naruto's protectors. A new battle starts in the next issue! O_O  
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)


	19. Chapter 19 Trials of Darkness

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hello again everyone. This chapter took me a bit longer than usual mostly because of being busy. If anyone is wondering why I haven't updated my other story in a while, it's just because I'm having trouble with that one at the moment so it's on temporary hiatus until I've thought things through. Don't worry, I'll update it soon...

Anyway, for those who are asking me questions about certain subjects, it would be better if you left signed reviews instead of anonymous ones so I had a way to reply to you quickly. I always answer any questions people leave for me if I can and that way you wont have to wait for a new chapter for your answer.

For those wondering about pairings, I'm still not 100% decided on them yet, but I will just say that there are no yaoi pairings in my stories so sorry if you were expecting that. For those who don't like yaoi pairings, you can now relax and stop asking me about that.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 19 - Trials of Darkness**

The ominous chill of a deadly shadow struck at the hearts of three powerful shinobi as they stood in defiance of a cold ruthless evil. The dark figure that overshadowed the abandoned alleyway spoke with an overpowering menace that tore away a person's soul without any remorse or mercy.

"My master will feast on your forsaken souls, just as he has done many would be heroes before you. It is an inevitable outcome for those marked by his will of death and to try and avoid it is futile."

Kakashi, Kurenai and Anko prepared themselves for an ensuing battle, knowing now that there was little chance of a peaceful outcome to this situation.

"This guy... he radiates more evil than Orochimaru..." Anko murmured to herself. "And the amount of killing intent in the air is almost unbearable." The dark figure never once moved once from his calm standing position, even as his opponents prepared for battle. It was almost as though he had already foreseen his own victory, emanating an air of confidence that was completely disheartening.

"You three... you are stronger than the others, so I will give you the pleasure of knowing the name of the one that shall end your lives. You face the one known as Tsukaimei, faithful servant of the demon lord Kurayami and bringer of justice to those who would dare to oppose him." Kurenai just gritted her teeth in hostility, knowing full well the consequences that would arise if they failed in defeating this foe. The thought of seeing Naruto hurt buy this sickening evil was something she couldn't bear to handle. He had suffered so much already at the hands of the villagers and his caretakers at the orphanage, she wouldn't allow this new threat to harm him as well.

"Why... why can't you guys just leave him alone?" The jounin's voice was now laced with a deep hatred and resentment, and the amount of killing intent that shared with her whispered words was enough to even cause Anko and Kakashi to waver in discomfort.

"You speak as though the child is worth protecting, as if he is precious to you. Would you really throw your lives away to save one boy when instead you could bring him to me peacefully and spare yourselves?" Kurenai didn't even pause to think of her answer.

"Of course I would, because some things are more important than protecting one's own life. This child has suffered for years because of the ignorance of those around him while the rest of us lived our happy lives without too much afterthought. I can't just hand him over to you and see him get hurt again." Tsukaimei closed his eyes, his skin once again crawling with the whispers of an unknown voice. Neither Anko nor Kakashi wavered either, despite the enticing offer of their foe. They would all fight to protect Naruto, no matter the strength of their opponent.

"Very well, then I shall take away that which the child holds dearest to his heart. Death would have been a kind offer for him to accept, but now you have condemned him to even more suffering." The man instantly shot forward in a blaze of dust and shadow before anyone could know what was happening, immediately appearing in front of a stunned Kakashi. "You may die now..."

The masked jounin barely reacted in time to catch his assailants palm before it struck against his chest, holding its advance firmly in both hands. The force of Tsukaimei's attack pushed Kakashi back against the alley wall while the jounin desperately tried to hold off its advance.

"He's strong... and fast..." the jounin murmured to himself. Kakashi then looked down to the man's hand, only to see a strange seal being held right in front of his chest, just out of reach of his heart. "What? That seal... it can't be."

"Oh, so you know this attack." Tsukaimei snickered. "This may prove interesting after all." He then lifted his right foot of the ground and slammed it into Kakashi's chest, sending the masked jounin slamming through the wall before bursting out of the other side of the building.

"Kakashi!!!" Anko quickly raised her hands to towards their assailant and released a volley of snakes, while Kurenai charged at him with a kunai in hand.

"Such weakness... and here I thought you were ready to protect your precious charge." Tsukaimei quickly jumped up towards the sky to avoid the temptress's impending attack, while Kurenai followed to meet him in the air. Both shinobi clashed against one another in a grueling display of speed and prowess, while ricocheting off the walls of the alleyway as they advanced towards the rooftops. "Hmmm, you're not bad..."

As the two figures reached the sky above the rooftops, Tsukaimei deflected an attack from Kurenai, before slamming his boot into the jounin's chest, sending her hurtling back down towards the surface bellow, while he himself was sent in the opposite direction. Both managed to land with their feet, although Kurenai was still holding her chest in pain.

"... Not bad at all, this might just be worth my while..." Just then, the roof under Tsukaimei's feet began to break away in an explosion of dust and debris, forcing the man to jump into the air once more.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Four kunai blasted out of the dust and encircled the shadowy figure, carrying behind them the faint glints of steel wiring. The projectiles closed in around their mark ensnaring the dark servant as he sailed above the building. Anko jumped out of the new hole in the roof and quickly zoomed up to meet him. "I've got you know!"

The purple haired jounin lunged towards her assailant, while tugging in the wire to pull him towards her attack. Unfortunately, her prey was not one to be caught so easily and the man twisted his body mid air while sending a kick into the jounin's advancing hand, knocking away the kunai she had prepared. He then followed with his momentum and crashed the back of his heel into Anko's face, causing her to topple over from the blow.

"Ahhh yes.... I've seen your eyes before. You have seen the same kind of pain as the boy you fight to protect, is that why you are so keen to die for his safety?" The jounin slowly picked herself off the crumbling rooftop while Kurenai watched with growing discomfort.

"Don't... talk about things you know nothing about" Anko hissed, while wiping away a trail of blood from her mouth. The dark haired man just snickered as he removed the wires that had previously bound him, but his face turned to a far more serious tone soon afterwards.

"I am growing tired of this game now. You two are clearly no match for me, so you might as well just hand over the boy and save yourselves the pain of death."

"I think you're forgetting about someone..." Tsukaimei turned around to see Kakashi landing on a nearby rooftop, his sharingan now blazing in his left eye.

"What took you so long you stupid pervert!!!!" Anko barked, causing the masked jounin to shiver in his feet.

"Well... you see I was coming straight back up to you guys when I saw this old lady trying to cross the street..."

"Oh shut it!!!" Kurenai cut him off. "You were hurt weren't you and you're just to stubborn to let it show." The masked jounin just let out a deep sigh, having almost forgotten about the serious danger still standing between the three of them.

"Alright you two, lets just get this over with." Kakashi the quickly formed a set of hand seals. "Katon! Dragon Fire Jutsu!" A large stream of fire burst from the jounin's mouth and sent towards Tsukaimei, who simply jumped into the air to avoid its advance. Anko immediately sprang into action to follow him, while Kurenai formed her own seals before disappearing in a swirl of wind and petals. Kakashi met up with the other two in mid air, clashing weapons and jutsu in an attempt to subdue their opponent.

"This is becoming annoying..." Tsukaimei muttered as the three eventually landed in the ground once more. "You three are more trouble than you're worth." Before the man could even act again, a tree suddenly burst out of the floor beneath him and ensnared their victim within its branches. Kurenai appeared out of its surface just above her target, kunai in hand, while Kakashi and Anko charged in from different angles.

"So... looks like there's no way for you to escape now." The man just ignored Kurenai's taunt as his three assailants closed in around for the kill. He simply closed his darkened eyes, gathering up a well of energy in his chest before releasing a massive shockwave in all directions, emanating its source from his ashen body.

**"Gaaagghh!!!!!"**

All three jounin were sent hurtling away from the blast, while Kurenai's genjutsu was immediately dispelled from the massive amount of chakra surging through the air, destroying the structure beneath their feet at the same time. The four figures disappeared behind a plume of dust and debris, falling down into the shadowy ruins bellow. When the dust settled, Tsukaimei's blackened figure was standing in the middle of the remains, his hands firmly clasped on the hilt of his katana ready to unsheathe it at a moments notice. Kakashi, Anko and Kurenai slowly pulled themselves out of the rubble, preparing to once again face off against their powerful opponent.

"H... how did he do that. To emit a blast of pure energy without forming any hand seals, he'd have to have an incredible amount of chakra to pull of an attack like that." Kakashi couldn't help but feel somewhat unnerved by this new threat. Even three high level jounin struggled to subdue one single opponent and he was beginning to wonder if they had any chance of defeating him at all.

"Do you see now why you should just surrender and save yourselves from certain demise? Just give me the boy and I shall leave your village in peace, deny me this request and I shall kill you and take him anyway." The three jounin looked between one another, realizing that this man wasn't just making idle threats. They had no way of knowing whether they even stood a chance against him and how many people would get hurt if a battle continued.

"How many must die for the protection of one single boy?" The sickening taste of an evil omen range throughout the air as Tsukaimei voiced the same question that plagued all of their minds, but even still, the jounin would not falter.

"No! We will not hand him over, not now, not ever!" Kakashi and Anko nodded their heads in agreement with Kurenai's statement.

"Besides" Kakashi continued in her stead. "There is obviously some reason that you'd want him so desperately. He must pose some threat to you if you're so adamant to have him. To hand him over would be both unbefitting of a shinobi and simply foolish." Tsukaimei Growled under his breath, feeling his skin crawl once more as a silent order ran throughout his veins.

"Very well, it isn't often that I am forced into unsheathing my sword, but you three have earned the right to witness its fury." Tsukaimei then allowed his hand to run over the hilt of his blade, caressing it against his hand in a dark lust for death. But just before the dark haired man could move to act, a number of ANBU suddenly arrived on the scene, bringing with them the reassuring promise of a single glimmer of hope. Kakashi looked up at the single silhouetted figure that stood on the nearby rooftop and released a massive breath of relief.

"Jiraiya..."

"Looks like we got here just in time." The white haired sanin murmured. "I felt the unusual chakra spike all the way from the Hokage tower. It must have been quite some battle going on here." Tsukaimei just hissed under his breath, realizing that the arrival of a sanin did not bode well for his chances. He slowly released the grip on his blade and stared down the prey he had just been denied.

"So it seems this little confrontation will have to be postponed for now. We will meet again soon and next time you three will die by my blade." The shadowy figure then disappeared in a dark plume of wavering smoke, leaving behind the three wounded jounin and a very confused group of shinobi.

"Who the hell was that guy?" Jiraiya mumbled load enough for everyone to hear. Kakashi just covered his left eye with his forehead protector and allowed himself to collapse onto one knee, exhausted from the battle.

"He is what you'd call a dangerous enigma. I only hope he's far from the village by now... for Naruto's sake. We should report to the Hokage as soon as possible."

--

Further away in the dusty streets of Konoha, three young souls slowly made their way back to Naruto's home, under the watchful protection of a now nervous Iruka. The scarred chunin could feel the brief scant releases of a powerful chakra flaring off in the distance before it abruptly vanished as quickly as it appeared. At the same time as it was released, Naruto momentarily paused in his tracks, gaining the attention of his three companions. The boy's body began to quiver briefly, as if to warn him of an unknown danger, before returning to normal once again.

"Hey Naruto, are you alright?" Lee gulped, noticing his friend's strange behavior.

"I... I'm fine. I just thought I felt something just now, but I guess it's just my imagination." Ryuukimi could feel the same tension running through his own body as that which he felt coming from Naruto's. He silently wondered if it was his soulmates feelings or if he himself was nervous as well.

"M... maybe I should be getting home. My dad is probably worried about me by now and I wouldn't want to keep him waiting for too long." Naruto slowly nodded his head in disappointment, unhappy to see the dragon go again. The boy waved this young companion off as Ryuukimi allowed one last uneasy grin before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Well, I guess that just leaves us three." Naruto then looked over to an equally tensed Lee, before letting out a deep sigh. "I guess you have to go now to, don't you?" Lee just allowed a brief smile to emanate off his features. He could see Naruto's discomfort without having to touch the boy.

"Well, I still have time to spare. If you like, we can hang out at your place for a while, that is if it's alright with Iruka-sama." Both boys quickly turned around to the said chunin with pleading eyes. The man could see the desperate look in Naruto's blue orbs and eventually decided it would be fine.

"Its alright by me, as long as Lee isn't too late for home. I wouldn't want his mother to kill me in my sleep." Both boys allowed a small approving grin between one another, before excitedly making their way back home once more. Once they arrived at the said house, Naruto and Lee quickly darted off for the blond boy's bedroom, being paused only briefly by Iruka's call.

"Alright you two, I want you to be careful while you're here. I'm going off to the Hokage's tower to report on a few things, I'll be back in a few hours." Both of them waved Iruka off as he stepped out once more and then continued to Naruto's room, before they sat down on the boy's bed. Both of the boys basked in the comfort of one another's presence, allowing the happiness of their friendship to steal them away. After a few minutes, Lee eventually went quiet, causing Naruto to turn his attention to the dark haired boy.

"Naruto... I was just wondering about a few things..." Naruto took a deep gulp of dread as the warm feelings in his heart immediately disappeared. He knew what was coming, it was obvious that Lee would be curious about what had transpired over the past few days and it was only a matter of time before he started asking questions.

"The thing is..." Lee continued. "I just don't understand... why is everyone trying to hurt you all the time?" Naruto's heart skipped a beat as Lee voiced his question, feeling his nerves deteriorating even further. Could he really tell his friend the truth? Could he risk losing one of the few people that accepted him and had willingly showed him kindness? The boy just stared at the ground as his feet dangled over the edge of the bed, not knowing what words would ease the situation. Lee noticed Naruto's discomfort and continued to speak, trying to rephraze the question in a less intimidating manner.

"When I first discovered your bloodline you were so terrified about anyone else knowing about it, but here in Konoha there are many clans and bloodlines are considered a gift for shinobi. So why are you so afraid of anyone discovering it? They would love you for it." Naruto took a brief moment to compose himself before speaking in return.

"Lee, you have a family right? You know... a mother and a father, people who love you and protect you. I've lived my entire life alone, never knowing what it felt like to be loved. I didn't even know what a hug felt like before Iruka gave me my first one at the academy." Lee looked down a the ground for a brief moment, before lifting his gaze towards Naruto, who was still staring at his feet.

"I guess it must have been hard for you to live alone for so long. I do have a family, but only my mom is with me now. My aunt and uncle left Konoha years ago and my dad died when I was only one years old. My mom said he was killed when the Kyuubi attacked our village ten years ago." Naruto felt his heart immediately plummet at the sound of his friends words, knowing what that little bit of information meant for him and their friendship.

"I've always wondered what he was like, but the only thing I have to go by is what my mom tells me and the pictures I have of him. I guess it must be the same for you, not knowing either of your parents or any of your family. It must be really hard going every day without knowing what they were like." Naruto turned his gaze up to his friend, his eyes now shimmering in a golden hew. His heart was now weighed with the guilt of the death of his best friend's father as well.

"Lee, I'm sorry..." The said boy just cocked his head in confusion, not knowing why the blond was apologizing. "...I'm just so afraid of losing you, I'm so scared that you'll leave me just like everyone else has left me. Every night I look outside my window when I go to bed, it reminds me of the time I was in my orphanage, when I was alone with no-one to help me or care for me. No-one at the academy ever noticed how much pain I was in or even tried to understand me, only you and Iruka ever bothered. Now I'm so afraid of losing the only person who ever loved me and I'm also afraid of losing my only real friend." Lee could see the pain in Naruto's eyes, the same pain he had seen the first time they met. The boy's golden orbs began to waver in the light, carrying in their gaze the heavy burden of a tortured soul.

"But why Naruto? Why are you so afraid? What could possibly be so bad that you think I would ever abandon you?" This was it, the moment Naruto had been dreading ever since the two had become friends, the moment that would either make or break his already weakened soul.

"Lee, there's something I need to tell you, something you may hate me for....."

Naruto then explained everything, from the Kyuubi attack on Konoha ten years ago, to how it was sealed inside Naruto by the Fourth Hokage. Lee listened with an almost unwavering disbelief as his young friend described his years in the orphanage, how he was beaten every night because of what he contained and how he had often wished death upon himself just to escape the loneliness and torture. The dark haired boy felt his heart clench as Naruto explained how he was kicked out into the streets and how he was saved by the good graces of his teacher, the first person to share with him the miracle of acceptance and love.

By the time Naruto had finished explaining, the blond boy's eyes were flooded with the tears of his awful past and his body was trembling violently with the deep fear of losing a friend. Lee's heart had since stiffened completely, realizing now that the boy beside him contained the very monster that had killed his father, the same monster that had his mother crying every night from the heartache of a lost love. He would never know about the man that had loved his mother so much, nor would he ever be able to call on a father of his own.

"That's... everything..." Naruto finally finished, wiping away the salty liquid that contained all of his pain and grief. "That's why I didn't want anyone to know about my bloodline, because if they found out, they'd try to hurt me even more. If... if you hate me forever... I'll understand..."

The dark haired boy just took a deep gulp of dread and denial, before standing from the side of Naruto's bed. His face carried almost no visible emotions other than the obvious pain in his heart and his fists were clenched tightly at his side, threatening the young blond with the promise of brutal pain. Naruto was almost afraid that the boy would try to hit him, to punish him with cruel fists and hateful words just like everyone else had done before, but instead Lee just stood there quietly.

"Naruto, I'm sorry, but I have to go now..."

Naruto flinched slightly as Lee spoke, the older boy's voice was filled with the same cold undertone that he had experienced his entire life, the same tone that held with it the hatred and cruelty of those that saw him as nothing more than a monster. Naruto couldn't even move from his position on his bed, his body being held in place by the panic and terror in his frail heart. He desperately wanted to hug his friend, to tell him that he was sorry and to beg for his forgiveness, but he knew it wouldn't make any difference now. The boy could only watch through tear-stained eyes as his only friend slowly walked out the door and into the hallway. The last thing he heard was the slamming of the front entrance to his house followed by an uneasy silence.

"I knew it... he hates me now as well..." Naruto slowly and painfully picked himself up off his bed and walked over to the edge of his doorway, only to find his weakened legs collapsing under his quivering body. He fell to his hands and knees under the archway and felt his very soul begin to waver from the grief he felt inside. Could he really blame Lee for leaving him? After all, he was the reason behind the death of the boy's father, or at least the monster that he contained was.

The terrible burden of both his curse and his bloodline now weighed down heavily on his aching heart, more-so than it ever had before. The young blond just allowed his weakening body to collapse to the hard wooden floor, tired from both the fatigue of the day's rigorous training and the excruciating pain of a broken heart. The boy just lay there on the ground in his tears, his mind now reeling with the doubts of the worth of his existence.

--

A few hours later, Iruka was making his way home from a long visit to the Hokage tower, his mind filled with the memories of what had just transpired. When he had arrived to see the third, Kakashi, Kurenai and Anko were already there, along with Jiraiya as well, all except for the sage were carrying the marks of battle. The four of them explained the events that had just transpired a few moments before he had gotten there, from the battle with this new threat to the eventual arrival of the sanin's aid.

Apparently, the man was after Naruto and that was what concerned the chunin the most. After an urgent debriefing, which Iruka was also allowed to attend, the Hokage ordered for the security in the village to be increased drastically, as well as the guard around Naruto. Jiraiya himself eventually offered to watch over the boy from a safe distance, ensuring that he was protected at all times even when his teachers weren't there to keep him from harm. Although Iruka was still resentful towards the toad sage for his past transgressions, he still could not deny the help if it meant keeping Naruto safe.

Now the chunin found himself slowly making his way home under a starry night sky, wondering whether Lee had already long since left. As he walked up to the small entrance that welcomed him inside, he slowly stepped into the house that he and Naruto shared.

"Naruto... I'm home!" There was no answer, only an unwavering silence. "Naruto?" Iruka felt a small knot of discomfort fill inside his gut as he wandered in to the house, closing the door behind himself. None of the lights had been turned on and the whole place was filled with darkness.

"Naruto... where are you!" The chunin then heard the faint sounds of running water coming from the nearby bathroom. He slowly edged his way up to the darkened room and opened the door to peer inside, only to see a saddening sight.

"N... Naruto..."

The said boy was sitting, fully clothed, under the running water of the shower, holding his knees up against his chest while his body quivered violently. His eyes were completely gold in colour and their painful gaze met with almost nothing in particular, instead opting to stare blankly at the ground beneath him. He was now completely sopping wet and the pain in his reddened eyes clearly showed the evidence of previously shed tears.

"Hey Naruto... what are you doing in there? What's wrong?" The chunin slowly walked up to where the boy sat and slowly sank down beside him, stepping into the cold shower while ignoring the fact that his clothes were now being soaked as well. He slowly sat down next to his son and placed his hands at his sides, while turning his gaze to the still unmoving boy besides him.

"Naruto....... son...?" Naruto slowly lifted his gaze to meet his fathers and the two locked eyes together. The boy's golden orbs held the unspoken words of an inner torment and his gaze was wrought with the hopelessness of a broken child.

"Dad... I told him everything, I had to, and now he hates me as well." Iruka simply frowned in a painful realization, knowing exactly what Naruto was trying to tell him. He gently moved his arm around the young boy besides him and pulled him in closer, allowing the warmth of his body's embrace to replace the icy chill of the cold water that fell on both of them.

"There there, it's alright... everything will be fine..." Naruto just sank his head into the chunin's chest as the man's arms held him closely in comfort, allowing the pain of his sorrows to fall through his tears. Eventually, his own arms found themselves moving around the chunin's body as well, pulling himself in closer to the man with what little strength he had left in him.

"It's all my fault, everything that happened. I killed all those people, all there loved ones and their families, even Lee's dad, they're all dead because of me. I deserve everything they've done to me, I deserve to die."

Iruka could feel the severe amount of grief coming from Naruto's touch, but he didn't know how to answer. A part inside of his own soul was still reeling from the death of his own parents and the pain of that loss still ate away at his consciousness. But even still, despite all that pain and loneliness, he never blamed Naruto for what happened. He never saw the boy as a monster and he would never abandon his own son to loneliness. Instead, he just allowed his own feelings to speak the words he could not muster, allowing them to flow freely into the blond in his arms while trying to ease the boy's unrelenting pain. After a while, Naruto's quivering eventually began to lessen, almost as though he were receiving the unspoken message of his father.

The two of them just sat there for what felt like forever, basking in one another's emotions as well as the cold, soothing massage of the shower. Naruto didn't want to move from that spot, he didn't want to let go of the only emotions that were holding his shattered soul together. He didn't even know if he had the strength to lift his body off the floor anymore. After a few more minutes Iruka eventually turned to look down at the soaked boy allowing his free hand to run through Naruto's water logged hair. The boy just nudged even closer to his father, allowing the gentle hand to caress him with their comforting emotions and the warmth of their touch.

"Common Kiddo, you're gonna catch a cold if we stay in here. I don't want to see you getting sick now as well." Naruto looked up to his father with the shimmer of his golden eyes, before allowing a small nod.

"Just a few more minutes dad, I just want to stay here for a few more minutes..." Iruka gave the boy a tight squeeze as his head sank back down into the chunin's chest, before allowing himself to agree.

Naruto began to feel warmer in the comfort of the man's hold and his heart slowly began to mend again. Even if he had lost everything else, at least he still had the love of his new father. It was something that would give him the strength to move forward even when everything else was so desperately trying to hold him back. He still had people that cared about him, even though they knew about his darkest secrets. They were the ones he would live for now, he would not allow himself to disappoint them or waste their efforts. Father and son continued to sit in the warm comforting embrace that held them both, allowing the feelings that flowed between them to signify their love for each other, a love that Naruto would always hold closest to his heart.

--

When the rising sun finally marked the arrival of a new dawn, Iruka slowly rose out of the warm comfort of his bed after a restless night devoid of much sleep. He was up earlier than usual, preparing himself for yet another Friday before the weekend finally brought at least some relief from the tension of a very eventful and stressful past few days. The man slowly made his way across the hallway over to Naruto's room and opened the door, relieved to find the boy sleeping soundly beneath the protection of his blankets. Iruka then walked up to the side of his bed before sitting down next to the slumbering boy, using his hands to gently shake him awake.

"Hey Naruto... it's time to get up now." Naruto began to shuffle under the gentle touch of his caretaker, slowly opening his eyes only to reveal the same blue orbs that he always had. Iruka took a deep breath of relief when he saw them, happy to know that Naruto's secret would not be revealed any time soon, unless Lee decided to loosen his tongue in order to spite the boy. The Tenraigan had remained active for much longer than it ever had before that previous night, even up until the point where Naruto had gone to sleep. Iruka assumed that it was his flaring emotions that caused the unusual occurrence to take place and was almost afraid of looking into his eyes at the time. Now they were normal again and with them came the glowing promise of hope in Naruto's gaze as he turned to look at his father.

"H... hey dad..."

Iruka allowed a smile despite his obvious fatigue from a restless night and then helped Naruto out of bed before the two got ready for school. Once they were in the safety of the academy walls and in class, Naruto made his way up to his seat and plonked himself down for their lesson, almost completely devoid of any heart or emotion. His blue eyes carried an empty gaze and it was almost as if he didn't care about anyone around him at all. Not even Hinata's stare caught Naruto's eyes, nor did her small wave to gain his attention.

Naruto's focus was now fixed solely on his teacher and father, no longer caring about anyone or anything else other than the only man who had never disappointed him or turned him away. His heart was now beginning to harden inside, no longer willing to allow anyone to get close to him any more. He wouldn't allow himself the luxury of friends or the trust that came with it. He had now passed the point where he would allow himself to become vulnerable to disappointment or hurtful rejection.

"Now I know why Anko-sama is so scary all the time. She just doesn't want to let anyone close to her because of what they might do" he thought quietly to himself.

Even Kiba seemed to notice his newfound disposition, because the Inuzuka didn't even try to tease him or make fun of him. It was almost as though this boy were different from the one they had all seen the pervious day, he was no longer the same Naruto they all thought they knew.

--

As the call for break was made for their class, the kids slowly made their way outside, while Naruto simply sat in his desk waiting for them to leave. Once they were all gone from sight, he slowly picked himself up from his seat and walked down to the front of his class, moving towards the doorway with the will and expression of a lifeless soul. Iruka noticed his empty blue eyes and desperately called out to him.

"Hey Naruto, you can stay in here with me if you like. I don't mind the company..." Naruto just shook his head while continuing to the door.

"No, it's alright, I need to do this by myself. I need to be strong on my own now because no-one else is going to be strong for me any more." The chunin watched with a heavy heart as the boy walked out into the hallway before heading outside into the field.

"Damn it, this has hit him harder than I thought."

Naruto slowly made his way up to the swings that were his usually resting place. Their small wooden frames provided the only comfort he would find now and the gentle sway relieved some of his built up tension, even if only a little. As he slowly rocked back and fourth in the warm embrace of the morning sunlight, another figure slowly walked up to approach him, before sitting on the swing next to the blond. Naruto cautiously turned to see who it was, only to catch sight of a timid Hinata gazing softly in is direction.

"Oh, it's you... good morning Hinata-san." The girl almost flinched at the coldness of Naruto's words. The gentle expression and kind demeanor of the boy she once knew had now disappeared all together, replaced by an empty shell of Naruto's former self.

"G... good morning N... Naruto-kun, it's good to see you again." Naruto just remained silent as his eyes wandered over the form of the girl beside him, searching for any signs of ill intent she may be hiding from him. He was almost tempted to activate his bloodline and search her soul, to make sure of her intentions, but knew it would only cause him more pain.

After making sure that she wasn't there to simply attack him in his lonely and vulnerable state, his eyes wandered back to the ground and his body began to relax once more. Hinata could see the boy's sadness and pain no matter how hard he tried to hide it from the world around him, it was the curse of being taught under the main branch of the Hyuuga clan. She was always taught to be able to read a person's emotions and although she was considered a failure by her families standards, it wasn't hard to notice those feelings coming from the boy she admired so much, especially considering how often she had observed him in the past.

The Hyuuga heiress shook herself from her gaze and slowly pulled out her packed lunch from her bag, causing Naruto to flinch at the sudden threatening movement. The boy was constantly alert, knowing that he would always have to protect himself from now onwards with no-one else to rely on any more. When he saw the girl remove a small dumpling from her lunch case, he allowed himself to relax again, realizing she wasn't there to harm him. He was surprised, however, when she moved her hand to offer it to him instead.

"H... here Naruto... please have one. It's really good... I promise." Naruto stared at the small morsel of food with forlorn eyes as a small flash of gold reflected back into them. He wanted so desperately to trust her, to allow himself the gift of her kindness, but his heart was warning him of the pain of losing another would-be friend. What was the point of allowing her to grow close, only to watch her be taken away from him once she learned the truth about his tenant.

Hinata could see the conflict in Naruto's eyes, as well as the mistrust on his face. She wanted to say something, to reassure him that she was there for him, but before anything else could be said or done, a snickering voice sounded from nearby, immediately catching their attention.

"Oh, so the dweeb has a girlfriend now. Too bad its none other than the loser of a Hyuuga heiress. I guess they deserve each other." Naruto looked up to see the same class bullies that had always tortured him before staring down back at him, one of them clamping his fist against his palm. Without Lee there to watch over him, they had obviously decided to take the opportunity to cause him more pain.

"Please just go away, I don't feel like talking to you today." The three older kids were slightly taken aback by the boy's blunt responce, as was the girl that sat besides him, but Naruto didn't move from his position on the swing, nor did his eyes leave their mark.

"What was that? I guess this means the dobe has a death wish!"

The oldest of the three boys stepped up to a silently waiting Naruto, slightly surprised to see that he didn't try to run away or cry for help. He grabbed the blond boy by the collar and lifted him into the air, causing the youngster's feet to dangle precariously above the ground. Naruto just stared blankly in his face, fully prepared for the beating that was about to follow. Even though he knew he could probably defend himself quite effectively, he no longer had the tenacity to make any effort. Fighting with them would only get him into more trouble with the academy officials and draw the attention of more resentufl adults. The embrace of pain always seemed to follow him no matter what he did to avoid it and he just didn't have the resolve to fight against it any longer.

"Just hurry up and get this over with, I'm ready." The bully just gritted his teeth disapprovingly, annoyed by the lack of fear in Naruto's eyes. In fact, the boy's blue orbs were just empty shells, devoid of any emotion at all. Hinata watched with a held breath as Naruto's assailant pulled his fist backwards to strike, but before she could do anything a voice called from behind them.

"Hey, put him down right now! Cowards like you who would hit someone who wasn't even trying to defend themselves are a shameful disgrace to our village and to the shinobi world as a whole!" Hinata's eyes widened in surprise as the three boys turned to face their new challenger only to see the dark hair and massive eyebrows that gave his identity away as none other than Lee. Naruto felt his heart begin to race in his chest as the older boy walked up to them, his dark eyes burning into the hearts of the bullies that were there to harm him.

"What's he doing here?" Naruto thought to himself.

"Oh, so the dobe's bodyguard returns once again to save the day" the boy that held Naruto growled. The bully then tossed him aside to the ground before walking off with his friends. "You three aren't worth the time anyway." Lee watched with hardened fists as they walked of into the distance before turning his attention back to Naruto, who was now being tended to by an overly concerned Hinata.

"Hey Naruto, are you alright?" Naruto slowly stood to his feet, seemingly ignoring the question posed by the dark haired boy while moving away from the girls touch. Hinata just lowered her head in the disappointment of being unable to help him effectively.

"Why are you here? What do you want with me?" Lee almost flinched at the coldness in Naruto's voice, although it was something he knew he had some blame in causing. He then turned to an equally surprised Hinata, who's eyes were still filled with a deep concern.

"Hinata-san, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Naruto alone quickly." The Hyuuga heiress bowed her head in silent understanding before walking of to the side, allowing the two boys their privacy. Lee then turned back to the emotionless shell that was Naruto and frowned in discomfort. The blond's eyes were impossibly empty and devoid of any life, yet at the same time Lee could easily see the damage he had caused by leaving Naruto alone with his pain and tears the previous day. He took a deep gulp and then exhaled slowly, preparing himself for the worst to come.

"Naruto listen... about yesterday..."

"Don't worry... I understand..." Naruto blankly cut him off. "It's my fault your dad is dead, so I can understand if you hate me. It's just that..." Lee watched as the boy's eyes began to turn gold once more, it was the only real sign that Naruto still had any emotions left at all in his broken soul.

"... It's just that, you were my only friend. I thought you of all people would be able to see 'me' for _me_, but guess I was wrong. I'm sorry for what happened..." Naruto was about to turn to walk away when Lee quickly grabbed his arm, pausing the boy in his tracks. The blond could feel the sheer amount of guilt and pain coming from the older boy's touch and his heart froze in panic

"Naruto... I'm sorry..." Naruto flinched slightly and then turned to face the boy once more, only to see the small evidence of tears stinging at the back of his eyes. Lee quickly forced them away and then released his grip on Naruto before falling to his hands and knees. The dark haired boy touched his head against the ground while Naruto watched on in complete astonishment.

"When you told me everything that happened yesterday, I was so confused, I just didn't know what to do. On the one hand I was so angry... angry that the monster that killed my dad was sealed away inside of you, but at the same time I was just upset that it was my best friend who had to suffer every day because of it." Lee then lifted his head off the ground, allowing his eyes to meet Naruto's despite the shame he felt inside.

"You lived your whole life in pain and sadness because of what others did to you and when you finally had the strength to share that pain and grief with someone else what did I go and do? I betrayed your trust the moment you were brave enough to tell me the truth. I abandoned you in the one single the moment you needed my friendship more than ever before. I made you doubt your trust in other people and that is an unforgiveable act that I am deeply ashamed of having committed. I'm sorry Naruto... can you ever forgive me?"

Naruto felt his heart begin to ache inside as the older boy poured out his heart to him. His eyes began to turn gold with the wavering emotions that he felt inside.

"You mean.... you don't hate me because of what happened to your father?" Lee shook his head from side to side.

"No Naruto-kun, I understand that you had nothing to do with what happened. You had only just been born and it would be unfair of me to blame you. I just want us to be friends again, to always be there for you when you need me. I don't want to see you get hurt any more so please tell me we can still be friends?" Naruto just fell to his knees in front of his friend and threw his arms around the dark-haired boy, almost crushing him in the strength of his embrace. The two just knelt there in the soft grass, Lee frozen in a state of shock by how easily Naruto could just forgive him like that.

"Of course... you're my friend, I would never want it any other way. I just thought you'd hate me forever..."

Lee took a moment to absorb what was happening before he finally returned the hug, while Hinata watched with a warm smile from the distance. Neither of them could care about the unusual stares they were receiving from the other academy students because it was no longer important. The only thing that mattered were the warm emotions flowing between them and the promise they carried inside. After a few moments of anguished relief, Naruto pulled out of the hug and stood to his feet again, followed shortly by Lee. The dark haired boy could see the life returning to Naruto's eyes and along with it the promise of a mending heart. He only hoped that the damage he had done could fully mend without any emotional scars to follow.

Naruto allowed himself to smile for the first time that day, a smile that Lee returned in kind despite the heavy amount of guilt that still lingered in his heart. The blond then turned back to a waiting Hyuuga heiress before waving her over to them. Hinata quickly rushed up to the two boys and stopped in front of them, this time with a gentle smile on her face, once again offering her hand of food to a now recovering Naruto. The boy just smiled with a slight tinge of embarrassment before reluctantly accepting the offer, causing the girl to turn a bright red.

"Thanks Hinata..."

The three of them then returned to sit at the nearby swings, allowing the warmth of a bright sun to seep into their hearts, offering with it the promise of hope and friendship. Despite everything, despite all his doubts and fears, Naruto now had a friend that accepted him for all his worth, along with the dark secrets and terrible burdens he carried as well. The boy couldn't help but feel the subtle flow of a sudden relief flowing into his heart.

--

"The boy's soul still burns brightly with hope and the village now knows of my presence here. What is you wish my lord?"

The dark figure of alone man stood atop the roof of the academy building, looking down on the three children that sat in the comfort of one another's presence. Tsukaimei felt his skin begin to crawl once more as the message of his master rung in his heart.

_"Open the scroll that contains my essence as planned and then leave the village by nightfall, you are no longer needed for the rest of my efforts. Once that is done, return to the shrine and make the necessary preparations for my return."_

Tsukaimei bowed his head in obedience before removing a small scroll from his coat. He then opened the blank sheet of paper before reciting the dark words of an ancient evil. Small seals began to form on the once empty sheet, before a dark wisp of shadow released into the air. Once it was done, the dark figure knelt down in front of the invisible presence and waited once more.

_"I will show the boy more pain than he could ever imagine, slowly but surely his entire world will begin to crumble around him. I will take what he holds most dear and turn it against him. His weak soul cannot possibly survive what I have in mind."_

The shadow then moved through the air and disappeared into the wind, leaving behind the lone figure of a terribly darkened soul. Tsukaimei waited for a few moments to pass and then formed a few hand seals of his own before disappearing in a burst of shadow, leaving the village and its denizens behind.

"I will await your return..."

--

Well, I'm not really good at writing battle scenes, so I hope it turned out alright. This chapter was one of the harder ones I've had to write so far, I'm not sure why but I hope it still came out alright.  
P.S. I'm not actually entirely sure what happened to Lee's family in canon, or who they were/are but I decided on this backstory for his past, so don't shoot me!  
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	20. Chapter 20 The Growth of One's Heart

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic (and some others).

Hey! It's the twentieth chapter! *Shakes Ass*  
Ahem, anyway, Naruto's growth is tested in this one and the results are surprising! That's all I have to say... so read the chapter already!  
Oh... and this is also my longest chapter so far (At about ten thousand words). Why do I write so much all the time? :)

I'd like to say thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far, I really appreciate the feedback! It means a lot to me.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter! XD

--

**Chapter 20 - The Growth of One's Heart**

The showering rays of afternoon sunlight glimmered and flowed into the wavering ripples of one of Konoha's rivers, dancing among the shimmering waves of water that held the reflection of two lone figures as they moved atop it's brimming surface. The fine spray of mist caught the light in a sparkling haze as Naruto and Kurenai weaved in between each other, clashing against one another in a graceful display of flowing bodies and dancing light. Lee watched carefully from the waters edge, admiring the intricate display and mesmerized by the grace and fluidity of both Naruto's and Kurenai's form. Both had been caught up in their late afternoon taijutsu training and they would often spar on the waters surface in order to increase Naruto's chakra control and stamina while also helping to develop his balance and fluidity.

It had been three months since he had learned about his past heritage, three months since they started their new training regime and Naruto had come a long way since then. It had also been a very difficult time for the young boy, in both his time in the academy and the grueling training that came afterwards every day. But not only that, the villagers that glared at him as he walked down the streets of his village, did so with even more malice and cruelty then they ever had before. It was almost as though something had changed, like a sudden darkness was beginning to fall all around him, but even still Naruto always tried his best to weather the storm. After all, he had people worth living for now, those who cared for him and accepted him and showed him the warmth of their love. He would fight to keep that love, no matter the cost.

Now the fruits of his training were beginning to show both in his academy grades, much to the ire of his superiors who saw the rapid advancement as an ill omen, and in his overall well-being as a growing child. Even as they sparred together on the water's surface, Kurenai easily noticed the improvement in Naruto's overall physical condition. When they had first met, the boy was little more than a skinny shell of traumatic emotions and broken dreams, one who barely ever smiled and was almost always hurting deep inside. His small body and battered frame painfully displayed the signs of years of neglect every time they went out onto the waters surface for their training, his ribs often showing from the lack of nutrition given by his orphanage and his skin pale from the years of isolation and little exposure to sunlight.

But now everything was different. The boy was smiling much more often than he used to and his physical condition had improved exponentially. Iruka also made sure that Naruto had a healthy diet as well as the warmth of a new home to keep him safe. Other than the occasional treat to ramen, the boy was now receiving all the basic nutritional needs and much more every single day. His body had now filled out a bit more, no longer the painfully skinny frame it once was but rather a decent build fitting of a child of his age.

The fine muscle tone on his stomach, legs and arms stood in testimony to the training he had received and his skin was now a soft tan in colour from the afternoons spent in the sunlight. His eyes shone a crystal clear ocean blue and they were now filled with more life than they ever had been before, while his miraculous smile flashed like the shining rays of a morning sunrise, bringing with it all its warmth and comfort and the promise of a brighter future.

Of course, not all of the improvements were only physical in nature, the boy was also starting to grow more confident in himself as well and he was much happier than he had ever been before. There were still nights when he woke up sweating from the dark nightmares of his deepest fears that haunted his sleep and he was still wary of the cruelty those around him, but now he had something to believe in, something to keep him moving forward while holding him strong in his resolve... his dreams. Naruto had also opened up a lot more to his best friend, Lee, having now shared his most tormenting secret with the dark haired boy. There was very little the two couldn't talk about anymore, if anything at all.

He even began opening up to Hinata a lot more as well, who had since shared with their friendly company during every one of their school breaks. The once impossibly timid girl was also starting to open up significantly in her own right, especially around Naruto and Lee. She no longer stuttered as much as she used to when talking to them and she would often happily join in on the conversations that the two boys held between one another. The three had since become very close friends and although Naruto still avoided physical contact with her, the signs of their bonds were already etched deeply into his heart.

Some of the most significant changes, however, came about with the boy's time spent with his dragon companion, Ryuukimi. The energetically playful and confident demeanor of the said creature had started to rub off on Naruto during their time together and he now found his own confidence beginning to grow even more as well. His teachers had noticed how his grin had become more carefree and wild and his childlike streak of mischief was starting to show up more, often resulting in simple pranks being played on them or just him having plain old fun.

It was really sad though, because the only time Naruto really acted like a normal child was when he was with the completely abnormal creature. He never had friends to go and play games with at school other than Lee and Hinata, so enjoying simple pleasures like playing 'tag' and 'hide and go seek' with a group of children his own age were things he never had the luxury of divulging in. It was very difficult for Naruto to relate to the other kids in his age-group, especially after so many years of isolation, and it was even harder to trust them after how cruelly he had been treated.

But now after three months of both healing and training, the boy was finally starting to move forward with newfound hope. The taijutsu style that he learned from his ancestral scroll was now being refined into a graceful art-form of fluid movements and stunning motions. After working through the ins and outs with Kurenai as best he could, it was discovered that the style was actually not too dissimilar from that of the Hyuuga clan's Jyuuken, relying on agility and quick reflexes to deflect and avoid your opponents blows while retaliating with carefully timed counter attacks. The only difference was that instead of targeting a persons tenketsu points to stop their chakra flow and disable them, Naruto's bloodline gave him a different and rather unique edge in battle.

Using his doujutsu allowed him to see a person's spiritual energy as well as the ebb and flow of their life force. Working this in with the effects of his physical touch, the boy could inject small amounts of his own life force into his opponent with each blow, targeting their emotions and disrupting their overall concentration. This would also severely weaken and disorient them over time, causing them to fight far less effectively than normal.

Although it was even more defensive than even the Hyuuga's own taijutsu style, using mostly the palms to gently deflect an opponents movements rather than relying on aggressive pin point attacks, it would be severely unwise to regard it as harmless or docile. A well-aimed strike could disrupt a person life force completely and may even go as far as causing their heart to stop beating. Even in deflecting a persons blows, Naruto could inject a small amount of energy through their arms or legs, making his so called 'defense' an effective way to wear his opponents down before he even started to counter attack, something Kurenai and Lee learned very quickly during their sparring matches.

Today was one such practice bout and Naruto's well-learned chakra control from his teacher made it a lot easier for him to grasp his unique taijutsu styles unique properties. Kurenai traded blows with the sunny blond as they darted across the waters surface, both sweating slightly under the overbearing heat of the late afternoon sun as well as from the fatigue of their training. After a few more minutes of sparring, Kurenai eventually called it to a stop, relieving Naruto for a short break.

"Well done kiddo, you've really picked up on your form quite a bit." Naruto took the compliment with a small blush and a massive grin, scratching the back of his head with a tinge of embarrassment. Despite how much stronger he had grown, he still had a healthy dose of humility.

"Thanks Kurenai-sensei!"

The jounin walked over to where the boy stood on the water's surface and took him by the hand, causing him to take another gulp before blushing heavily. It was less visible to notice on his more smoothly tanned skin, but Kurenai could still easily make out the red cheeks and drawn lips and it caused her to smile. It also didn't help that his eyes were turning gold, something that he quickly hid away from her by staring at the small ripples on the water's surface, but Kurenai could still see them in his wavering reflection.

"Oi, Naruto-kun! She's a bit too old for you isn't she?!" Both Kurenai and Naruto turned to face Lee as he shouted from the shore, flashing a warm cheeky smile.

The two then looked back towards one another when Naruto realized they were still holding hands despite the discomforting situation. This only caused the boy to blush even more and the emotions running from his hands were almost enough to make the jounin touching him turn red herself from the exposure. Unfortunately, despite their efforts to suppress his emotions during such physical contact, it was discovered that it wasn't only his chakra, but rather Naruto's life-force that flowed into another person, so there was no real way to prevent others from linking with his feelings through touch. He would just have to be more careful around those he didn't know or learn to control his own emotions more carefully.

"D... don't listen to him Naruto, he's just teasing. Now come, lets go sit down for a while and we'll go over what we've learned today." Naruto gave an uneasy nod before finally allowing his eyes to return to his sensei's gaze. They eventually returned to their normal ocean-blue shade once more and the two made their way to the shore.

--

"Whew!"

Naruto's tired and battered form collapsed gently onto the soft green grass, his breathing now a heavy pant and his body filled to the brim with sweat and the marks of scratches and bruises.

"I'm... so tired..." Ryuukimi, who looked no better than his human companion slowly slouched over to where Naruto lay on his back and collapsed beside the young blond, having also been exhausted by the training they had just done. Even though dragons had higher stamina levels than their humans, or at least most humans that weren't Naruto, the small creature still couldn't keep himself on his legs any longer.

"Eh, Naruto-chan... can we go get some ramen now? I haven't had that in ages." Naruto just laughed at his friend's suggestion despite how much it hurt his aching muscles, while his stomach growled a low rumble in agreement.

"Yeah, maybe later, but that's only if _she_ lets us."

"Hey, are you two done already?"

Naruto lifted his heavy head off the floor as high as he could and looked up to see Anko waving a kunai around her index finger. Her face was lit up with a sadistic grin that warned of the promise of pain to follow.

"I'm sorry Anko-sensei... it's just that we're really tired. We've been training non-stop for three hours straight and we haven't eaten all day..." Anko just let out a deep sigh and slipped the kunai away into her pouch, before walking up to where the boy lay.

If it was anyone else, she would have skewered them on the spot without a heartbeat and still forced them to continue training afterwards, but the woman found herself growing very fond of her young student during the last three months. It wasn't long before she eventually introduced him to the wonders of dango and they would often treat themselves to a helping following an afternoon of heavy training. Naruto still didn't know where she managed to pull it out from all the time, but he wasn't about to let his thoughts wander.

It even got to the point where the young blond started calling her 'sensei', rather than the colder formal reference he once used before. Of course, Anko admired the attention and appraisal she got from the wide blue eyes that held her in such high respects and she found her own heart beginning to mend from the darkness that came with the trials of her past. Every time she saw Naruto working so hard to achieve his dreams, while still managing to smile despite his overbearing hardships, it began to inspire her to move forward with her own life as well.

She now found herself relaxing a lot more than she used to and her psychotic demeanor had also lessened somewhat, although that didn't mean she wasn't still a wild canon. In fact, to assume such would be a grave mistake on anyone's part. The only difference was that now she acted that way because she wanted to and not just to hide her true feelings. Unfortunately, Naruto was always on the receiving end of that crazy streak and his training was always grueling to match.

To say that Naruto's exercises with Anko had been difficult would be like saying that Jiraiya was a bit of a pervert, both of course being complete understatements. The purpled haired jounin would run Naruto dry for all his worth, often training him until he could no longer walk or even crawl for that matter. Most afternoons ended with the original Naruto collapsing in exhaustion once his clones were dispelled due to the built up fatigue of his arduous schedule. But even still, despite the hardships, he never complained, or at least not often and that was something that Anko respected in the young boy.

It seemed as though Naruto understood the importance of growing stronger despite the difficulties that came with it. His and Ryuukimi's coordination had now become a lot more refined as well, as did the boy's movements and abilities when it came to stealth and weapon use. Anko found herself glowing with pride, knowing that he was probably the most well trained kid in his age group at the academy and the only thing holding him back was his still growing confidence.

Anko's wild chaotic grin slowly lessened into a simple warm smile as she looked down at the panting boy lying on the grass. Her facial features began to soften and her grey-brown eyes warmed at the sight of her charge. She slowly sat down next to the young blond and pulled out a box of dango, causing Naruto and Ryuukimi to both smile happily at the sight of food. The boy quickly shot up into a sitting position while his companion sat eagerly on his lap, both of their eyes pleading for a taste of the sweet offer.

Anko grinned and handed each of them a stick to munch on, gaining a small 'thanks' from them both along with a warm feeling in her heart. They all just sat there quietly, enjoying the sweat taste of their treat and the cool breeze that washed over them, it wasn't often that the jounin could share in the luxury of the genuine warmth she felt during these fleeting moments and she treasured every second of it. After a few moments of peaceful relaxation, Anko turned to the sticky faced blond and smiled in approval.

"You know kid, you're not so bad after all... for a brat." Naruto felt the undertone of sincerity in Anko's voice despite the added title at the end of her hard-pressed comment and turned to her with a cheeky grin.

"You're not too bad yourself either Anko-sensei... for a psycho." Anko's head was immediately adorned with an oversized blood vessel after that little comment and Naruto almost swallowed the dango stick that still hung out from his mouth.

**"What did you call me!!!"** The young blond quickly scrambled to his feet and placed Ryuukimi on his shoulders, before shooting away from the fuming temptress with a massive grin, his childish streak now getting the better of him.

"Ehehe... thanks for the food Anko-sensei!" Anko was hot on his heels soon afterwards, chasing him through the trees and into the open field while he giggled with a playful glee. Ryuukimi was still trying to hold onto his own food as well as the blond he rode on, while shaking his head in dismay at the shouts coming from behind.

**"Get back here you little brat!!! If you want a psycho, I'll give you one!!!"**

--

Iruka watched silently from under a nearby tree as Naruto came darting out into the field with a fuming Anko trailing very closely behind him. The Naruto that was reading with him looked up from his book and shook his head in silent dismay, before releasing a wavering sigh.

"I wonder what I said this time?" Iruka just giggled under his breath before patting Naruto on his soft blond hair.

"Well, if she manages to catch you, you may find out sooner than later, especially knowing Anko and her temper." The boy just shrugged at the thought of it and then leaned against his sensei's/father's shoulder.

"Dad, if she catches me, just knock me out okay, or better yet, just kill me and end my missery. I don't think I want to remember whatever she does to me..." The chunin smiled and moved his arm around his adopted son and pulled him closer, enjoying the warmth of their contact. They had already since been officially registered as a family, although Naruto still kept his surname, knowing it was the only thing that linked him back to the parents he never knew. Now the two of them found themselves growing closer than ever, acting like a real father and son would.

Iruka squeezed the young boy in his arms and allowed himself the subtle relieving tingle of the boy's emotions to flow into him, while his eyes scanned carefully over the rest of field. Kakashi was still training with another clone while Kurenai was sitting with her's and Lee, no doubt taking a well deserved break from their taijutsu matches and going over some finer details. Naruto's ninjutsu training had gone as well as the other areas and his newfound chakra control helped immensely when it came to performing the said techniques. The only problem came when he tried to narrow down his chakra expenditure to perform smaller jutsu, something that his overwhelming reserves made difficult to do.

The leaf cutting exercise was eventually met with great success, which was something that surprised everyone. Although they knew Naruto would eventually get it, they didn't expect him to do so in such a short space of time, especially considering it normally took years to develop that kind of elemental control. After that, they moved onto an exercise that had Naruto trying to part the water of a small runing stream by using wind to cut off it's flow. The boy would also practice this with running tap water when washing the dishes at night. After about a month of struggling with the more difficult task, he eventually had that down as well.

Naruto had since been working with Kakashi to develop his own unique wind base jutsu from what he had learned. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the wind element was the exact opposite and inherent weakness to the masked jounin's own natural affinity, Kakashi never actually used it himself, so he instead acted as a guide for Naruto as the boy came up with his own variations. In addition to that, he also taught the boy some of his own lower level jutsu as well and helped him practice with the academy basics, such as the 'Substitution Jutsu' and the 'Transformation Technique', which they were now forced to learn as well.

The scarred chunin could see Naruto forming hand seals in the distance before forming a small gust of wind in front of himself, picking up the leaves and twigs that were scattered across the grass and blowing them off into the distance. The boy would then look over to the masked jounin with a massive grin of accomplishment before receiving an approving nod for his efforts. Iruka often wondered how much he had actually learned, mostly because he never really had time to watch his other training exercises, but before he could think on it any further, Naruto suddenly jumped in his arm's hold and tensed up slightly.

"Hey, what's wrong kiddo?" Naruto looked up to his sensei with an expression of horror still etched on his face while his eyes filled with the terror of an unknown source.

"She... um... well, she caught me..." Iruka took a deep gulp, realizing what kind of memories would come with such a declaration.

"Let me guess, I don't want to know...?" Naruto just nodded his head silently, but then allowed a small nervous giggle to follow, causing Iruka to frown in confusion.

"So... that's what I said..."

--

After another long afternoon of training, Naruto eventually dispelled his clones and gathered the collective experience, as well as some awkward memories that caused him to blush slightly. The group then gathered at the centre of the field.

"Alright Naruto..." Kakashi began. "I think it's about time we tested your abilities. So far we've each only seen your development on an individual basis, but maybe it's time to see how it all stacks up together." Naruto scratched his head in thought, wondering how they would test him.

"But Kakashi-sensei, what type of test is it?" The masked jounin looked over to his fellow trainers as well as a curious Lee, trying to think of an exercise they could use.

"I know... how about a friendly match? A one-on-one battle between you and I to see how far you've developed. I have the most all-round skills out of the four of us so I'll be able to asses you on all your abilities on every level. What do you say?"

Naruto thought about the question for a brief moment, knowing that going head to head with a jounin would probably result in an embarrassing defeat, but the reassuring face of his masked sensei put his concerns at ease. The young blond flashed a big grin and then nodded his head in approval, finding within himself the confidence to face his fears.

"Alright, I'll do it!"

Kakashi eye-smiled as the boy pumped his fist into the air with deftly enthusiasm, something they hadn't seen often in Naruto when he wasn't with his only friends. He then walked over to the far side of the field while everyone else stepped aside to watch. Naruto turned to face Ryuukimi and Lee, who both flashed reassuring grins in his direction, the dark haired boy all the while giving him a big 'thumbs up'.

"You can do it Naruto-kun! Show him how far you've come!" Naruto grinned in return and then turned back to face Kakashi, who had since focused his attention on the young boy.

"Alright, come at me with everything you've got and don't be afraid to hurt me either, understand!?" Naruto nodded his head and then fell into his taijutsu stance, spreading out his legs further apart and loosening his hands into open palms.

"Hmmm, his posture and stance is very interesting indeed. It reduces his overall surface area when facing his opponent while giving him the widest possible coverage for deflecting and evading attacks." Kakashi then watched as Naruto activated his doujutsu, his eyes turning a radiant gold that reflected brightly in the warm sunlight. He focused his vision on his sensei, blocking out all other colours and light until only Kakashi's life force and spirit could be seen.

"Well, I guess I better not look directly into his eyes" The masked jounin murmured to himself. "Although I doubt he would ever use _that_ technique on a comrade against his own will, I did tell him to go all out on me so it's better to be safe." Kakashi then prepared to attack, knowing that Naruto's defensive style prompted him into allowing his opponent to make the first move.

"I hope you're ready, because this is where things become difficult." The jounin then shot forward toward the young boy, although not at his full jounin speed. Naruto quickly fell backwards a short distance, efficiently predicting a kick coming down from his opponent. "What, how did he know?" Kakashi swerved with his movement and followed up with another roundhouse kick but once again found himself hitting nothing but air. Naruto ducked underneath the impending blow and moved into his opponents guard, preparing a well-aimed counter strike.

The young blond allowed a brief, victorious grin before slamming his readied palm into the man's chest, targeting the flow of his life force where it was the strongest, but as soon as his attack hit its mark, he found his palm slamming firmly into the surface of a wooden log.

"A kawarimi!" Naruto's ears pricked as the soft whistles of flying kunai sounded from the nearby trees. He managed to turn around just in time to deflect the attacks with well-timed flicks of his hands, before settling back into his defensive stance once more.

"That's pretty good Naruto. You managed to react quickly to a surprise attack while still keeping control of your form." Naruto felt his pride swelling up inside as Kakashi stepped out from hiding with a look of approval on his face, but then steadily pushed it back away again. He knew that the jounin wasn't really trying hard, otherwise he would have already been beaten.

"Your taijutsu is very well developed, but how are your other skills in comparison?" Naruto just allowed a sly grin in responce to the question, causing Kakashi to tilt his head in curiosity. Kurenai could see the confident look on the boy's face and tried to stifle her own growing smile. Iruka noticed the red-eyed jounin's lifting expression and became curious.

"What's going on? It looks like you already know what Naruto's going to do." Kurenai just looked over to her companion with an air of confidence that silently spoke of an unknown truth.

"You'll see soon enough..." They all then turned back to the fight, surprised to see Naruto forming a set of hand seals.

"Dog, Snake, Monkey, Ox, Tiger..." Kakashi immediately recognized the seals used and his eye widened in surprise.

"It... can't be. There's no way he'd have the chakra control required to do that technique..." As soon as the seals were finished, Naruto began to disappear in a gust of wind and leaves, the last thing that could be seen was the sly, feral grin still present on his whiskered face before it vanished all together.

"Magen! Tree Binding Death!"

As soon as the boy was gone, roots suddenly began to grow around Kakashi's feet and up along his body, before encasing him entrapment of the growing tree. Soon afterwards, Naruto reappeared out of its trunk above Kakashi and tapped his held kunai happily against the jounin's shoulder.

"Hehe... Looks like I got you Kakashi-sensei!!" The grin on the boy's face was filled with pride at having caught the jounin off his guard, knowing that he wouldn't expect such an unpredictable move. Iruka tried to contain his falling jaw line while Lee and Ryuukimi jumped up and down on the spot, cheering their blond friend to victory.

"Go Naruto!" Iruka then turned to a smug looking Kurenai.

"You taught him the Tree Binding Death technique? That's a B-ranked genjutsu! What else have I been missing?" Iruka muttered. Off to his side, Anko tried to withhold her sudden urge to cough. In the meantime, Kakashi allowed a small grin of his own as he turned to face his surprisingly versatile young opponent.

"Well, I must say that was an unexpected treat, but you've let your guard down by becoming overconfident." Kakashi then disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving an empty patch of grass where he had once been standing.

"A Shadow Clone..." Naruto then felt a surge of chakra run through his body, causing the genjutsu he had cast to vanish while leaving him standing there, vulnerable in the open field. The sharp prick of a kunai touching against his back was felt soon afterwards and he turned to see Kakashi standing behind him with a smug look on his visible face.

"Looks like _I've_ got _you_ now, hey Naruto?" What surprised the jounin, however, was that Naruto still had the same confident grin on his face.

"Like you said before, you shouldn't let you guard down Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto also disappeared in a puff of smoke as well, causing his jounin sensei's to flinch in surprise.

He then felt the ground beneath him start to rupture and quickly jumped away in time to avoid Naruto's attack as the boy came flying from the earth with a kunai in hand. The jounin landed a few feet away from the blond as he landed on his feet and the two faced of once again.

"I see... so you used the genjutsu to disguise your movements so I wouldn't notice you making a shadow clone, then you hid your real body underground using the 'Headhunter Jutsu' I taught you. Very impressive, but... how did you know I was also using a Shadow Clone?" Naruto just smiled as though the answer was obvious.

"It's my eyes silly. When I saw you coming out of hiding I noticed that you didn't look the same anymore. You didn't have any colours flowing inside of you."

"Hmmm, interesting..." Kakashi mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu may create real bodies that have their own chakra systems, but only the real body has a soul and that's something you can't replicate." Naruto nodded his head in agreement.

"I couldn't see your spirit anywhere inside of you so I knew you weren't the real Kakashi-sensei, so I hid away while using the genjutsu and a Shadow Clone to make you come out. Pretty smart don't you think?"

Everyone who was watching and listening were now completely shocked by the ten-year-old boy's advanced foresight and planning, even Kurenai didn't expect such an advanced strategy using the techniques she taught him, not to mention the interesting uses of his doujutsu. After a few fleeting moments of brief silence that followed, only interrupted by the loud cheering of Naruto's friends, Kakashi then raised his hand into the air causing them all to pay close attention.

"Alright then Naruto, I think that's enough play time, it's time to get more serious then." The masked jounin then removed the forehead protector from over his left eye, revealing the Sharingan that hid beneath its surface.

"What! Are you crazy Kakashi!? This is supposed to be a test, not a real battle. Don't you think that's going a bit to far?" Kakashi just brushed of Iruka's rants, instead focusing on the blond boy in front of him, whose body was now beginning to tense up with fear.

"Iruka, Naruto will have to face far more dangerous threats than me in this cruel world of ours, we both already know that. Consider this as a test to see how far he's _really_ come and how much further he still needs to go before he can effectively defend himself." Naruto took a deep gulp of dread, realizing things had just blown way out of his league, but he quickly found his confidence reemerging once more as an idea popped into mind.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, does that mean I can go all out as well?" Kakashi was somewhat surprised by the question, although he didn't let it show.

"Alright then, what did you have in mind?"

Naruto turned to Ryuukimi, who was waiting patiently on the sidelines, and ushered him over to where he stood. The dragon quickly slapped on a confident, toothy grin and then ran up to his soulmate, before jumping up onto the boy's shoulders.

"Alright buddy! Are your ready to show him what we can do?" Ryuukimi was almost shivering with anticipation, something that had the masked jounin curious as to what they had learned in the past three months.

"Yeah, lets do it Naruto-chan! We'll show him just how great we are as a team!"

Naruto basked in the confidence emanating off the touch of his friend as it washed away his remaining doubts and then fell back into his taijutsu stance with renewed vigor while Ryuukimi followed his movements closely. The dragon began to crouch deeply on his companion's shoulders, almost matching the flow of boy's stance perfectly. Kakashi noticed that Naruto's pose was slightly different from the one he used before. He was now crouching quite a bit lower than normal, almost feral-like in posture, and he would have probably fallen over if it weren't for Ryuukimi's tail carefully balancing his weight distribution. Kakashi somehow suspected that Anko's training regime had something to do with this new development, and the unnerving grin coming from the said jounin's face stood in testimony to that suspicion.

"This... should be interesting..."

Before the jounin knew what was happening, Naruto shot forward in a sudden movement to attack, taking his sensei completely by surprise by the unusually aggressive motion and surprisingly subtle discretion of his silent assault. The boy's advancing palm was quickly deflected by Kakashi, who had followed his movements perfectly with the Sharingan... or so he thought. What he had forgotten about was the small companion riding on Naruto's shoulders and a quick swipe from Ryuukimi's dangerous tail quickly reminded the jounin of his presence.

Kakashi barely managed to duck in time to avoid the potentially grievous blow, before hastily moving to retreat backwards after trading a few close blows with his opponent. The boy he fought against quickly snapped back up again from his failing attack and parted his feet to the sides, preparing another new stance while forming a new series of hand seals.

"Hey Ryuukimi-chan, how about some fire?" The dragon just nodded his head excitedly and began to inhale deeply, while spreading his wings to the sides of Naruto's body. The blond boy then finished molding his chakra and held out his hands together in front of him, his fingers slightly overlapping one another, causing Kakashi to take a slightly nervous gulp.

**"Fuuton! Kaze no Arashi!" **

A large gust of wind manifested in front of the tips of the boy's hands, blasting forward in a torrent of dust and leaves as it picked up the surrounding debris. At exactly the same time, as if on the command of some hidden signal, Ryuukimi exhaled his tightly held breath, releasing a surge of fire into the advancing maelstrom of wind, causing the flames to grow in both size and power as they were strengthened by the ensuing storm. The entire area in front of them where Kakashi stood was burnt to a smoldering crisp by the advancing inferno and the extreme amount of heat generated by the flames could be felt by everyone in the area. As soon as the attack died down, Naruto let his hands fall back to his sides while Ryuukimi desperately gasped for air to fill his ironically burning lungs.

"Whew! That took a lot out of me..." Iruka could only gape in disbelief at how far the boy had grown, while Lee's eyes were as wide as saucers from the amazing spectacle. The scared chunin was now finally starting to understand just how beneficial their summoning partnership actually was.

"They both combined their abilities to generate an attack of a magnitude that neither one of them would ever be able to achieve individually at their age. Naruto's wind based chakra fits in perfectly with Ryuukimi's fire attacks, no wonder they're considered soul-mates. It's the perfect match for their abilities."

After recovering from the exhaustion of generating such an attack, the boy then scanned over the damage he had done with his golden eyes, searching for any spiritual traces of the masked jounin at the same time, but the man's essence was nowhere to be found.

"Oh come on Kakashi-sensei, I know you wouldn't be caught by that attack so easily. Come out already!" In a profound response to Naruto's request, the ground beneath the boy began to crumble away, revealing the emerging colour signature that gave Kakashi away. Naruto managed to jump into the air just in time to avoid the hands that clasped around his ankles and he landed less than gracefully on the branch of a nearby tree. A short stumble on his part was quickly corrected by Ryuukimi's flailing wings and tail, but there was no time to rest just yet.

As quickly as he had recovered, Naruto found himself jumping out of the way of a follow up attack, the branch he was standing on being quickly shattered under one of Kakashi's powerful kicks. Both boy and teacher ricochetted between the trees as a chase ensued. Naruto was using thrown kunai and shuriken to try and hit Kakashi while the jounin closed the gap between them to strike. Ryuukimi would also emit periodic blast of fire from his mouth in an attempt to catch their opponent off guard, but found his attacks hitting nothing but air.

"Damn it, he's too fast!" Naruto cursed under his breath, realizing that he was now running out of steam. Kakashi noticed the boy's growing fatigue and loss of concentration and decided it was high time to end the battle, having already been satisfied by Naruto's performance. He quickly formed a series of hand seals of his own and began his final counter attack.

"It's time to fight fire with fire! Katon! Grand fireball jutsu!" Naruto and Ryuukimi watched with horror stricken faces as a large ball of massed flame advanced towards them, consuming everything in it's path.

**"Ryuukimi!" **

The dragon didn't need to hear anything more, he could already feel what Naruto wanted through their bond with each other and the emotions flowing through their touch. He quickly wrapped his tail around the boy's upper chest to increase his grip and spread his wings wide open. Naruto then slammed his hands into one another and released his chakra in a massive gust of wind, causing it to catch underneath Ryuukimi's extended wings as it emanated from his body before lifting them high into the air. The two youngsters watched with held breaths as the large mass of fire passed beneath them before dissipating into a massive plume of smoke.

"Wow, that was really close eh..." Unfortunately, the brief moment of subtle relief was very short-lived, because soon the ground was rapidly approaching them as they promptly fell out of the sky.

**"Aaaaahhhh!!!"** The two eventually hit the ground with a heavy thud, their fall only being softened by the air caught underneath the dragon's spread out wings.

"Nggghhh!!! That... really hurt..." Naruto tried desperately to pick himself up off the ground, but found the strength leaving his battered and aching body altogether as it collapsed once again into the soft grass. The last thing he saw as his doujutsu faded away was the silhouetted figure of Kakashi standing over him before exhaustion had its way with his weakened form.

--

"I told you that this was taking it too far! That last attack of yours could have killed them both Kakashi!!!"

Naruto's eyelids began to waver precariously as the low muffles of voices slowly brought him out of the darkness. As the light swam into his now opening eyes, the blurred images of his teachers forms began to materialize into view, all standing not to far from where he lay.

"Common Iruka, I knew that he would be able to avoid it. He's a lot more capable than you give him credit for. And beside, even if he didn't manage to dodge it, I would have never let it actually hit him." The boy's vision slowly molded into view as the four adults continued their argument, oblivious to the waking eyes of their charge.

"Hey guys... am I dead?" Naruto's muttered call immediately caught their attention and Iruka quickly rushed over to his side, followed shortly by Lee and Ryuukimi.

"Hey Naruto, looks like you're finally awake." Iruka murmured.

"Yeah, you were so awesome!!! All that fire and the wind and the..... the tree thingy, it was like the craziest battle I've ever seen!!!" Naruto chuckled as he watched his friend trying to reenact the battle through outlandish movements and strange poses, while Ryuukimi just shook his head quiet in disbelief, trying to stifle his pout.

"Hey, I worked hard as well you know!" he growled, causing the dark haired boy to shrug. The small dragon then turned to Naruto, who was still trying to recover from his newfound migraine. "Isn't that right Naruto-chan!"

The said boy responded by gently petting the small creature on its head while giving off an approving smile. The small dragon got the message and then proceeded to curl up against his companion's side, snuggling up into the scruff of his neck, while slightly tickling the blond in his movements. Iruka looked at the two as they lay on the floor, his mind still recovering from everything he had just seen the academy student acomplish.

"So Naruto, when did Ryuukimi learn to start breathing fire? I thought he couldn't uses it yet."

"Oh that, well it was during one of out training lessons with Anko. She asked us to try and concentrate our chakra together at the same time so we could fight effectively as a team and he accidently let rip this massive burp, only it was a really fiery one." The dragon just flashed an embarrassed grin, having still not gotten over what had happened that day.

"Hehe... bad stomach cramps..." was his only excuse. Iruka just nodded his head and tried to wipe the mental images from his mind. The other three jounin then walked up to where Naruto was lying, all with strange looks on their faces. Naruto immediately noticed their tension and slowly sat up despite his pain, his face now cringing with discomfort.

"What's wrong? Didn't I do well enough?" Kurenai just shook her head, trying to hold back a small tinge of pain that she felt inside.

"No that's not it, in fact you did very well. Only, that's the problem..." Naruto scrunched his face in confusion, not understanding what she meant by that, but Iruka quickly took over to east his failing nerves.

"The thing is Naruto, that you've grown a lot faster than any of us could have imagined. They've already pretty much taught you everything they can at this point in time, so now it's up to you to grow by yourself for a while." Naruto felt a sudden pause in his heart beat.

"What Iruka is trying to say..." Kakashi continued. "... is that we can no longer teach you anymore without hindering your own individual growth and style. You've already proven that you are now a cable young boy who will grow into a strong shinobi. You still have a lot to learn and there is still a long way for you to go, but now you have to find your own path, one that will determine who you are as both a shinobi and as a human being." Naruto felt the small pain of tears stinging at the back of his eyes, but he bravely tried to hold them back. He slowly stood to his feet and walked over to the three jounin instructors that had taught him so much.

"Does... does this mean I won't ever see you guys again?"

**"Of course not!**" Anko blurted out, almost causing the others to jump. "You don't think I'd let a brat like you have all the fun alone in this dreary village, do you!? I'm sure that goes for my two mood sacks here as well."

Naruto felt his lips curl up into a smile, but his eyes were filled with the shimmering glimmer of a painful realization. One of the most precious parts of his life was now coming to an end and the time spent learning with his senseis would now be lost to his memories. Kurenai knelt down in front of the boy and took his hands into her own, smiling all the while as she did.

"Naruto, we'll always be here for you whenever you need us. Just because our training has come to an end doesn't mean that we won't be seeing each other. I for one won't be able to last long without seeing that wonderful smile of yours brighten up my day." As if to honor a hidden request, Naruto allowed a smile to form on his face. It was both happy and sad at the same time, but still filled with the promise of a newfound hope and a healing soul. He threw his arms around Kurenai and squeezed with all his might, allowing himself the warmth of her touch to forever find a place in his heart, one that she helped in mending and strengthening.

After a few moments of tensed emotions and heartfelt shivers, the boy finally let go of the red-eyed jounin and stepped back slightly, releasing an anguished breath from his shuddering body. Kurenai gave him one more kiss on the forehead, causing him to blush slightly with embarrassment while his eyes flashed gold from the warm tingling exposure. It was a foreign feeling that he had never experienced before, the touch of someone's lips pressing against his sensitive skin, and now he found himself yearning for more of that love, more of that same contact that a mother would give their child.

"That's for being such a good kid and a great friend" Kurenai smiled, standing to her feet again. She then slowly moved out of the way, while trying to hold back an uneasy shiver and the burning sensation growing in her eyes, before allowing Kakashi to step up to the blond that reminded him so much of his lost sensei. The masked jounin just stood there stiffly, not knowing how to approach this kind of uncomfortable situation, as well as a boy that was never to be touched.

"Well... I'm not really good at these kinds of things but you've been great..." There was no response other than the overbearing eyes of the boy that stood before him, eyes that shimmered with the glow of a hidden gratefulness that Naruto would never be able to express through simple words. Kakashi just closed his eye and scratched the back of his head, trying to avoid the painful look on Naruto's face.

"Hehehe... well, I guess you'll want to..." Before the jounin could even finish his sentence, a pair of small arms suddenly wrapped around his waist, causing his emotions to flare out of control at the unexpected exposure. Kakashi opened his eye and looked down to see Naruto squeezing tightly against him, while the boy's head buried into his stomach.

"Thank you Kakashi-sensei... thanks for everything..." The masked jounin could barely hear Naruto's muffled words, but he got the message loud and clear and the emotions he felt had already spoken on the boy's behalf.

"So... this is what it feels like, to have his emotions running through your heart..." he thought to himself.

The masked jounin tried to fight against the overwhelming feelings coming from the boy, whose arms held him in a tight embrace. He slowly raised his hand and gently touched it against Naruto's soft blond hair, before giving him a small rub on the head. There were no more words, what could he say? There were only the raw feelings and emotions of a ten-year-old boy. After a few more scant moments of subtle relief, for both the young boy and the weary jounin, Naruto finally let go of the man and allowed his eyes to wander back to the ground. If anyone could see them, they would notice the small tears stinging at their corners.

Finally it was Anko's turn. The young woman cautiously stepped up to the fray and tried to express her trademark sadistic grin, but it didn't come out the way she planned. It looked painful, to the point where one would almost think it was a poorly expressed frown. For the first time since escaping Orichimaru's iron grasp, Anko felt scared, in fact she felt terrified.

"Well, I guess this is it kid. I really enjoyed hanging out with you, ya little brat..." Anko just stood uncomfortably there in the silence that followed, knowing that her intimidating displays and harsh treatment had no doubt warded the young boy away from any hope of contact with her, or at least that's what she thought. But when Naruto threw his arms around the jounin, she couldn't contain the unexpected yelp that escaped her lips as the emotions rushed into her. What surprised her even more was the golden eyes that looked up to her and the almost painful, yet blissfully hopeful words that followed.

"You know Anko-sensei, you really should stop hiding your real feelings from everyone. I like the _you_ that I see hiding inside more than the one you're showing everyone else. _He_ didn't take that all away from you, I know it's still there deep inside your heart."

Anko felt her heart immediately stop beating, not knowing what to say, or even what to feel. Hell, she didn't even know what emotions she was experiencing at this point in time. The pain of her own past feelings of fear, rejection and self loathing were now mixing with the warmth and acceptance she felt coming from Naruto, emotions she never thought she would experience in her life again. To be needed by someone, to be... wanted, not because of what she could do or how efficient she was at killing, but because of who she was as a human being deep inside, something that only Naruto's eyes could truly see in her soul.

That is what she felt right now, she felt wanted, and it was an emotion that she didn't want to let go of. Small tears began to sting at the back of her eyes and before she even knew what was happening, Anko felt the soft brush of crystal salty liquid running down the side of her cheeks and glimmering in the fading sunlight for the first time in years. Everyone watching could see the raw emotions on her face, knowing that this was the first time in a long time that the purple-haired jounin was allowing her true feelings to show to the world around her. For the first time, her soul began to re-ignite in a new flame of promise and hope.

"Alright... brat, you're really... troublesome you know..." Anko stammered, while wiping the tears from her face and noting that she sounded just like a Nara. "... But still... you're a good kid..." Naruto just smiled warmly at the young woman, causing Anko to allow a smile in return, a genuine smile that wasn't hidden behind the stained surface of her intimidating mask. Her face began to relax as he slowly pulled away from him and her heartbeat began to lessen as well. The only thing that remained were the warm emotions she still felt inside despite the loss of contact.

Iruka then walked up to his son and placed his had on the boy's shoulder while Ryuukimi jumped up onto the other side. Lee soon joined the three, flashing a warm smile to Naruto in order to ease his tensing heart and his freshly falling tears.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, you'll always have your friends! Well always be here for you no matter what!"

Naruto just nodded his head approvingly while looking up to his sensei and Ryuukimi and then back to Lee. After reassuring himself with the strength of their smiles, he finally found his courage and said his final words of thanks to the ones that tried so hard to make him stronger, the only people who gave him true hope when he thought his soul was broken forever. He knew he would see them often, but he would no longer share those special afternoons learning from the ones he admired so much.

He would always remember the ones who would forever hold a special place in his growing heart.

"I'll... always love you guys... no matter what happens..."

--

The dark ominous chill of an evil shadow seeps into the heart of an hopeless soul as he sits wallowing in the bitter taste of his alcohol. His eyes were laced with the malice of his ill intentions and a deep inner shadow that had since started consuming his soul months before, slowly turning his heart into a vessel of hatred and cruelty. Even his friends and family had started to notice the sudden change in Kizashi's eyes as the man slowly broke away all ties to those around him and now he was all alone, wallowing in the imaginings of an deteriorating mindscape.

The man's skin began to crawl ominously as dark unknown whispers entered his mind, rotting it away into the empty shell of its new masters will, while the seeds of a secret plot to harm a young boy's soul were carefully planted, waiting for the right moment to sprout.

"That demon brat, it's all his fault, he's the one that did this to me. He's the one that made my life a misery. I have to find him, I have to make him pay..."

As the aimless rambling slurs of a drunken tongue whispered throughout the air, the cold promise of pain dripped off the edge of his cruel words and caught in the icy nighttime breeze, carrying off to the soul of a young boy as he slept in the safety and comfort of his home. The safety and happiness of Naruto's life was now wavering precariously under the shadow of a new hidden threat as darkness began spreading it's corruption throughout the village with only one single goal in mind. To shatter the young boy's soul and cast him into the cruel embrace of a shadowy abyss.

--

Alright, chapter's done, but before anyone has a hernia, know that we will still be seeing our three favorite jounin often enough (but not _too_ often). They just won't be training Naruto any more for now. It's also high time for him to start allowing himself to be a kid as well without having to worry about who's trying to kill him or how he has to defend himself all the time. Unfortunately though, as we all know, there are shadows moving throughout Konoha, trying to take everything away from our hero that he holds close to his heart. But now he is finally finding the strength to fight against it, along with that of his closest friends.

I'm sure you may have also noticed that the title of this chapter doesn't only refer to Naruto himself, but also those who have grown close to him. This is the healing process I was referring to in my earlier chapters.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Note: Fuuton! Kaze no Arash**i = Wind release! Wind tempest/storm.


	21. Chapter 21 Fractured Innocence

**Eyes of the Broken Soul **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 21 - Fractured Innocence**

As the warm embrace of an early morning sunshine began to tickle against the sensitive cheeks of a sleeping young boy, Naruto's body began to waver under the gentle embrace. Two small eyes slowly pried themselves open as the symphonious call of birds rang in his ears, causing him to muffle in his discontent.

"Is it... morning already...?"

Naruto quickly pulled the pillow over his head in order to block out the sounds and save himself from the sunlight that pierced through his curtains. Despite the early morning routine he had grown accustomed to following, he now found his body laced with fatigue from the previous day's training, not to mention the tiring battle he had with Kakashi. The young boy found his eyes wavering in his overwhelming exhaustion while his body slowly began to succumb to the rapturing entrance of sleep once more, but unfortunately for this kid such moments of relief were always short lived and the sound of an opening door quickly alerted him to his approaching torment.

"Morning Naruto, it's time to get ready for school!" Naruto mentally shook his head in disbelief while trying to stifle a tired groan.

"How does he always manage to do that just as I'm about to fall asleep again? It's like he knows... and he's just trying to torture me..." The blond's barely tangible thoughts were quickly shattered as the pillow that covered his face was abruptly pulled away, once again revealing a cringing face and a disapproving pout.

"You know kiddo, we're really going to have to work on new variations of that facial expression of yours, otherwise it's eventually going to just end up sticking that way." The said boy just grunted something incoherent about 'stupid early mornings' and then sat up wearily before rubbing his eyes, while Iruka watched the all too familiar ritual unfold with a growing smile.

He never thought that taking care of a child could be so rewarding, but every morning he saw Naruto wake up from his dreams, it was like seeing him being reborn again and with it came a sense of accomplishment and warmth that he never thought was possible. To know that you were giving someone so young the gift of hope and love as well as a the promise of a better future was more than enough reward for the effort. It was the reason he became a teacher in the first place, to see children growing into something special. Naruto noticed his father's unusually cheery demeanor and loving eyes and found his own emotions begin to waver slightly under the strange gaze.

"Hey dad, what's going on? You look really happy today." Now Naruto wasn't much of a morning person, but he was at least well aware enough to know when something was different and his father looked definitely happier than usual. Iruka just continued to smile at the boy while trying to hide the overwhelming sense of pride he felt inside, remembering back to the previous day and everything he had seen the boy achieve.

"Naruto... I'm really proud of you, I just wanted you to know that. You've come so far in three months and you've grown so much stronger, I'm sure your parents would have been proud as well."

Naruto felt his heart begin to tense and then warm, while his eyes lit up with a golden hew. Although Iruka had said it to him before, this time Naruto felt like he could really accept what the man was saying without guilt or fear tearing away at his soul. The boy sank his head into his father's shoulder and allowed the man's arms to flow around him with their warmth and comfort. Naruto's own arms soon followed to match and soon the boy was squeezing Iruka as tightly as his strength could muster.

"You are my only family now dad. I don't care about anything else, I just want to be with you forever..." Iruka almost flinched at the boy's words, but quickly brought his own emotions under control.

It was clearly painful for Naruto to not know about his own mother and father and he was beginning to wonder just how much damage keeping such information from him was actually doing. He deserved to know, he deserved to learn the truth about his real parents, even if it was painful to bear. The scarred chunin could feel the boy's grief and frustration mixed in with his love and warmth and immediately knew that Naruto was still hurting deep inside, that he was still yearning for the love and acceptance of the mother and father he never knew, longing to know why they had abandoned him to such a cruel fate.

After a few more moments of subtle comfort and relief, the two finally got up and prepared themselves for another day. Naruto was now showing the promise of hope that he never had before and his smile was brighter than ever, but Iruka could still see the deep emotional scars that haunted his endless blue eyes, something that he had grown accustomed to noticing in the months they had been living and growing closer together. It was something that Naruto may never be able to overcome, no matter how strong he became or how much love and attention he received. To know that he could have been saved from the cruelty of those around him, but was instead abandoned by the only ones that should have loved him, was something that would forever tear away at his heart until the day he finally knew the truth.

--

After preparing for school, Iruka and Naruto found themselves making their way down the dusty streets, over to the academy where they both spent their weekdays. Naruto's eyes hadn't wandered from the ground since they had left and he seemed unusually quiet for the first time in weeks. Iruka noticed the boy's unusual silence and mentally cursed himself for bringing up his parents, knowing that Naruto's heart had since grown cold to the thoughts of their unconditional acceptance and love and had already discarded their so called for the village sacrifice as a sign of their abandonment in favour of those that had always hurt and tortured him.

How could the mind of a young boy understand that his parents, the ones that were supposed to love and care for him, instead left him to a horrible fate in order to save the ones that would end up destroying his soul. Did they really hate him so much? Did they also see him as a monster, already knowing that the Kyuubi would be sealed inside of him? These were the questions he would always ask himself, but ones that he never found the answers to.

Now the only thing he cared for in a father, was everything that he saw and felt in Iruka. To him, the man was the only family he ever had and the only one who hadn't abandoned him yet. After that bond was gone, he would be alone and he couldn't bear the strength to survive if something happened to the only operson that had ever tried to take care of him. His soul, although stronger now than it had ever been before, would never be able to handle losing the most important bond in his life. But the cruel whispers of an inherent evil now worked to remove that bond, to destroy the one thing Naruto held most precious to his heart and with it, to destroy his very soul.

Unknown to them both, Kizashi watched from a distance as both father and son walked down on their path to the academy, both relishing in the comfort of one another's arms. The man's skin began to crawl under the chill of an unknown whisper while his blackened eyes held with contempt the visage of his newfound target.

"So, he is the one that the demon child holds most precious to his heart, the one thing he cares about more than anything else in the world. Now I will take that away, just like he took everything away from me!"

Kizashi's tongue flickered with the bitter taste of alcohol and the malice of a darkened heart that had since been torn to shreds. The man wavered precariously through the filling streets, bumping through the other villagers without regard and slurring incoherent words of hatred and cruelty to no-one in particular. His eyes bore into the back of his new target and the young boy who was held in his loving arms, both of whom were unaware of his ill intentions or the killing intent radiating off his gaze. Kizashi slowly pulled out a hidden kunai from his pouch and stumbled forward with a wavering hand, fully intending to kill regardless of the consequences that would follow. But before he could move to strike, a sudden flare of chakra alerted him to the presence of another approaching individual causing him to back away.

Naruto felt his emotions begin to stir as Iruka paused in his tracks, causing the boy to look up to see what the commotion was about. Unfortunately, what he saw was something he didn't want to for a long time to come, but also something he knew that he would eventually. There, standing in the middle of the street, was none other than the toad sanin Jiraiya. Naruto immediately felt his heart sink at the sight of the aged man and his emotions began to flare uncontrollably, almost causing Iruka to instinctively remove his hand from around the boy's shoulders in defence. The scarred chunin felt Naruto's body begin to quiver violently in his arms, signifying his distress along with the barely coherent emotions that emanated from his touch. The toad sage immediately noticed the boy's growing animosity and quickly spoke to break the tension.

"Good morning Iruka... Naruto. It's good to see..."

"What are you doing here?" Naruto cut him off coldly.

Jiraiya almost flinched at the sheer amount of pain and grief hidden in the blond's voice, but knew that it was to be expected, especially after what had last transpired between them. What surprised him, though, was that the boy's eyes were now beginning to turn gold in colour and his face fell into an angry frown.

"I just wanted to talk..."

"I don't want to talk to you." Naruto cut him off again.

This time his voice laced with a deeply tormented anger and the pressure of his gaze was quickly becoming overwhelming. Iruka just looked between the two, noticing the poorly developing situation and the ire of the sanin's untimely arrival. Jiraiya's own discomfort only grew even more as he locked into Naruto's gaze, only to find that it was a grievous mistake to make at this point in time. The sage's body began to tense in pain as Naruto's Tenraigan bore into his own eyes, almost as if to pass judgement on his soul for his past transgressions. The brief flashes of pain and sorrow began to flash through the sanin's mind while the excruciating pain began to worsen even more, almost causing him to double over. Jiraiya quickly turned his eyes away to avoid the condemning gaze of the young boy in front of him, but found that the pain and grief didn't subside. Iruka noticed the problem and gently squeezed Naruto in his arms, trying to snap him out of his trance.

"Naruto... please stop..." Naruto snapped out of his empty stare and quickly turned his eyes to the ground, ashamed at having his emotions once again get the better of him. Iruka then let go of the boy in his arms and walked over to where Jiraiya stood while trying to stifle his scowl.

"You shouldn't be here you know. Don't you realize how much pain you're causing him just by being near him?" Jiraiya slowly picked up his head to meet Iruka's frustrated gaze, but this eyes were filled with both guilt and remorse.

"I... I just want to talk to him, that's all. There are a few things I still need to get out of the way... to apologize for." Iruka looked back to the blond behind him, ensuring that Naruto was still safely out of ears reach, but the young blond was frozen in place. The boy's eyes still hadn't left the ground and his legs were now trembling in his sandals, threatening to give out at any moment.

All of the confidence, all of the happiness that the chunin had seen the previous day, it was now all gone in a matter of seconds, stripped away by the presence of the man that had abandoned him to a lonely hell. It was almost as though he were looking at the same Naruto he had found with bruises all over his body the day he had been kicked out of the orphanage, a... broken Naruto, and it soon became painfully obvious just how much damage Jiraiya's last visit had actually done. Iruka just wanted to rush over and hold him again, to feed him his emotions and reassure him that he was still there for him, but first he had to deal with a certain toad sage. He turned back to the said man with an anguished sigh, but one that warned of the growing impatience of a father protecting their child.

"Look Jiraiya, I know that you may have acted in order to protect Naruto, but you have no idea what the boy actually went through. You have no idea what kind of pain he's had to live with and believe me when I say it's something you wont want to experience for yourself." Jiraiya frowned slightly as Iruka spoke, and the scarred chunin noticed the growing confusion on his face.

"Oh... so he hasn't told you yet has he? He didn't tell you what happened to Naruto in the orphanage..." Jiraiya scratched his head aimlessly while trying to hide his discomfort.

"Well, he told me that Naruto hospitalized one of his wardens when the man tried to attack him, but that's all I know. I thought it was an isolated incident." Iruka just scowled disapprovingly. Either Jiraiya was very naive or it was just wishful thinking on his part, but now the chunin found himself losing his cool.

"Tried to attack him? **TRIED!?!?!?** You obviously don't know anything at all!!!! I suggest you go back to the Hokage and have him explain exactly what's been happening while you were gallivanting around the world, because I don't have the heart or inclination to do so at this moment!!"

With that, the scarred chunin turned on his heels and walked away from the toad sage, leaving him to his deteriorating thoughts, before kneeling down in front of Naruto again. Jiraiya watched with a heavy heart as the boy carefully looked up to his father with pain-filled eyes before throwing his arms around the man. Iruka gently stroked the boy's back in order to ease the anguish he felt inside, while Naruto's eyes flashed momentarily between blue and gold. He then turned back to look at the toad sage with a heavy frown.

"It's... dangerous... for you to be near him at this point in time. Even I don't know what might happen if you look into his eyes right now."

The chunin then turned his attention back to Naruto, while ignoring Jirayia's presence completely and leaving the man to his own volition. After a few fleeting moments of frustrated tension, the sage bowed his head in defeat and then disappeared from sight, leaving the two alone in the middle of the street with only hateful eyes of an unknown danger watching carefully from the distance, waiting for the right moment to strike.

--

Sarutobi looked over the lightly illuminated buildings and trees that made up the village of Konoha as the early morning sun crept ever higher into the crystal clear blue sky. His aged thoughts once again found themselves wandering over the fate of a certain young blond and the disturbing events that alwasy seemed to follow in his wake. Of course, the incidents revolving around the mysterious attacker that had left two Konoha shinobi dead and effectively battled three jounin alone was quite a worry in itself.

The fact that he had also managed to infiltrate the village so easily and remained undetected for so long was something that had the old man deeply concerned. Sarutobi began to wonder if they were relying to much on the chakra detection system they had conceived to alert them to intruders and had since decided to tighten the security patrols around the village, much to the growing ire of the council.

Many of them complained that pulling more shinobi off missions in order to protect the village would be detrimental to Konoha's growing economy as a whole, but the Hokage knew that most of them were just all too happy to let Naruto be captured, or worse killed, even if it was by outside forces. The old man now found himself in an increasingly difficult situation and protecting the boy from the both the wrath of the council and will of the villagers as a whole was now becoming more impossible by the day. Many had openly declared that by allowing the boy to live, he was placing the village in further danger and had since called for justice to be administered accordingly.

Of course, Naruto had already received his overwhelming share of said _'justice'_ throughout his entire life at the hands of such cruel hearts. The old man hated to think what they would do to the poor boy if they were ever given the opportunity to get their hands on him without any fear of reprisal to hold them back, but he also found himself wallowing in his own guilt for failing to protect his succor's legacy properly.

"If only you were still here my old friend. Things would be much easier for everyone if you were still alive and none of this had ever happened. Perhaps then, Naruto would have lived the life he deserved..."

Sarutobi found his old eyes wandering over the carved stone faces that were etched into the side of Konoha's mountain, the faces of the previous Hokages that had all given their lives towards protecting the village and it's ungrateful inhabitants, including the Fourth, who had sealed the Kyuubi away in the vulnerable body of a newborn child. None of their sacrifices could ever compare to the burden Naruto was forced to bear and all the villagers could do to honor his sacrifice for their safety was to repay him with their unfailing ignorance and cruelty. It was something that Sarutobi could never bring himself to understand and he now found himself questioning the meaning of all their sacrifices.

The man's poorly wandering thoughts were quickly jarred when he felt a familiar presence entering the room behind him and he quickly hid his own doubts away before speaking.

"I see you're not your usual cheery self today if you're abandoning the lure of the bathhouse to come and see me. Tell me, this has something to do with Naruto doesn't it?"

Sarutobi turned around to see Jiraiya standing quietly against the wall with a blank expression on his face and then proceeded to light a pipe, knowing that something was clearly amiss. He sat down in his chair and allowed his aching bones some comfort while the bitter taste of his tobacco filled the air. After noticing that Jiraiya hadn't bothered to respond, he took a deep drag from his pipe before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Well...?" Jiraiya looked up to his former sensei with pain-filled eyes, ones that spoke of an inner torment that slowly ate away at his consciousness.

"I need to ask you something... and I also need you to be completely honest with me no matter how painful it might be. I need to know the truth..." Sarutobi clasped his hands together as his tired, old body fell into the back of his chair. He already knew what this was about and he also knew this would be painful.

"Naruto..." Jiraiya silently nodded his head.

"Yes... I want to know everything... everything that's happened to him since I've been gone." The Hokage's face fell into a serious and grim expression, one that warned of the painful truth to follow.

"Alright, but I must warn you, you're not going to like what I'm about to say. I think you should sit down for this..."

--

Iruka was having a very bad day, in fact it would be more accurate to say that he was having a terrible day. First he had to endure the unexpected visit from Jiraiya earlier that morning and then he had to console a very distraught Naruto thereafter. To make matters worse, he had just received word that the academy was holding a field trip the very next Monday for his own class, but not just any field trip, it was a survival training exercise out in the forests of Konoha that they would have to endure for an entire week.

Now, normally this wouldn't bother the chunin at all, in fact it was during such trips that he was given what little chance he had to get out of the village every once in a while to see the countryside. What worried him, though, was the fact that it was also a parent/student field trip that required every child to bring their own mother or father along as well, otherwise they were not allowed to attend.

The purpose of this was for the children to learn more about the survival tactics of their own clans as well as that of their academy training. It was also an insurance policy to make sure that nothing went wrong during the trip and if something did go amiss, the higher clans couldn't hold the academy responsible. Now this was now where his dilemma came in. Firstly, Naruto would not be allowed to attend the field trip without a parent accompanying him, but Iruka himself had to lead the students into the forrest. At first he thought about withdrawing the boy from the exercise all together, but he knew that Naruto would feel left out and unwanted if he did so. But he also knew that if he brought Naruto along, he would then have to watch over both the class and his own son at the same time.

There was also the issue of the danger presented with leaving the village as well, especially when you knew that a powerful enemy that had easily taken on three high level jounin could be ready to strike as soon as Naruto left the safety of Konoha's walls. Iruka snapped himself from his thoughts as the bell for break sounded throughout the hallways, causing him to silently thank Kami for the convenient timing. The chunin watched with growing relief as the rest of the students left the room except for Hinata and Naruto, both of whom waited silently in their chairs for their classmates to disappear. Once the others were gone, Naruto shot up from his seat and ran down to the front of the class, followed closely by the Hyuuga heiress. Both began talking to one another as they pulled out their lunches and Iruka couldn't help but smile at the interaction between them.

It had been like this for a while now, with Naruto and Hinata waiting in each other's company until Lee arrived to meet them. Both had grown very close to one another over the past three months and the girl was now beginning grow out of her own shell as well. The blond boy that spoke with her had since cheered up since their morning visit from Jiraiya, once again reverting back to his normal blissful self. Iruka inwardly sighed with relief when he saw the boy smiling as he interacted with his equally enthusiastic friend with a renewed confidence. It was almost like watching two reflections, opposite but the same, mirroring each other's actions, both once being empty shells that had now blossomed into kind and gentle children that cared deeply for their friends.

"Hey Naruto... Hinata... it's time to go!!!"

Both kids looked over to the doorway to see Lee smiling and waving in their direction. Both had come to think of him as a protective older brother and he considered them the younger siblings he never had. After waving their good-byes to a smiling Iruka, the three darted off into the hallway and out of view, leaving him alone with only his warm smile and lifting spirits.

"Those three are so cute when they're together" the chunin mumbled to himself, trying to contain a hidden chuckle. "It's really a pity though... they would have made an excellent genin team if it weren't for Lee being a year ahead of the other two. They just care too much about each other to let one another get hurt. If only everyone was like that."

--

As the three kids made their way through the hallway and towards the playground, a snickering voice sounded from behind them, catching their attention with its cruel taunts.

"Hey look, it's the three weirdos! I guess it's only normal that the three biggest losers in the academy would hang out with each other!" Naruto Lee and Hinata all turned around to face their harasser, only to find the three faces of those bullies that had always brought the blond boy down before. Having caught their attention, the oldest decided to hit where it hurt the most.

"I guess the little Hyuuga heiress is really desperate to make friends if she's hanging out with you two, after all even her family thinks she's worthless!"

Hinata just bowed her head to the floor in shame, hiding her eyes from the cruel stares and from the gaze of her own friends. Naruto noticed her falling disposition and began to seethe inside, having long since learned the meaning of pain and cruelty from those that taught him through fists and hateful insults during his time at the orphanage. The boy felt his blood begin to boil and his heart begin to stiffen, and soon his legs found themselves acting on their own accord, bringing him closer to the boy's who threatened to hurt his friends. But before he could get far, a quick tug on his shoulders from Lee's hand quickly brought him to a halt.

"Naruto... it isn't worth it. Don't let yourself change into something you're not just because of how they act."

Naruto took a deep shuddering breath, while allowing his flaring nerves to calm under the soothing touch of his best friend. Once Lee felt the younger boy's emotions returning to normal he gave a final small squeeze of approval and a brief smile.

"Naruto, why don't you and Hinata go outside for now? I'll catch up to you two later, I just need to talk to our _'friends'_ here for a moment."

Naruto looked into Lee's eyes, noting the serious expression on the boy's face, before giving a small nod of approval. He then motioned for Hinata to follow him and the two youngsters then proceeded outside while the three bullies watched on with curious expressions. Hinata was still hanging her head in shame and Naruto couldn't help but feel an anguished knot form in his stomach, knowing exactly how she felt inside. Once he saw that they were gone from view, Lee turned back to their harassers and allowed his face to fall back into a frown, but the three just continued to wallow in the success of their mockery.

"So, I guess the '_bodyguard'_ is protecting his little friends again!" one of them snickered while nudging his friend in the ribs.

"What are you going to do, beat us up?!" The three just laughed at their friend's joke, causing Lee's expression to fall even more.

"I wonder what they're gonna do once you graduate, after all you can't protect them forever." Lee tried to restrain himself from using the boy's face as a new training post, but still somehow managed to remain calm despite his frustration. He instead allowed himself to release a heavy breath and spoke calmly afterwards.

"You three are really blind if you couldn't see what was about to happen to you. I wasn't trying to protect them from harm, I was trying to protect you from being torn apart on the spot." The bullies just snickered between one another, thinking that the boy was just pulling their leg, but Lee's unchanging serious expression quickly shut them up.

"What, you can't be serious can you?! You really think that dobe could do anything to us?" one of them laughed, almost nervously. Lee just quietly nodded his head.

"I don't think so, I know that he could. Naruto is a lot stronger than you think and he's certainly much stronger than you three. The only reason he never fights back is because he despises unnecessary violence. He knows what pain feels like and he hates it when he sees others experience what he went through his entire life. He may not try to defend himself from your cruelty and he may not like hurting other people, but by threatening his friends you're asking for serious trouble. I'm just not sure he'll let himself be hurt anymore and he definitely wont let you hurt those he considers precious to him."

Lee slowly turned on his heels having said what was needed, before leaving the three flabbergasted boys to their falling jaw lines. As he made his way out of the hallway, one of them stifled a stutter and called out to him.

"Y... you're just having a go at us! There's no way you can be serious!!!" Lee just raised his hand in the air without turning around, dismissing the boy's errant calls.

"Fine, don't take my word for it, but just don't come crying to me when you push him over the edge. I don't want to be around when that happens and I won't try to stop him again a second time. I've already warned you!" The dark haired boy then disappeared out of view, leaving the bullies to their now confused thoughts.

When he finally arrived at the swings where Nartuo and Hinata were waiting, he noticed that the girl was giggling softly into her hand while the blond pulled silly faces in a desperate attempt to cheer her up. It was obviously working, because pretty soon the were both laughing at the boy's silly antics. Lee couldn't contain his own laughter as his younger friend pulled another face that could have only been learned from Ryuukimi and the dark haired boy found himself silently thanking the dragon for his friendship. Both youngsters heard his chuckle and turned to face him as he approached, waving and grinning as they did.

"Hey Lee!" Naruto yelped, relieved to see that his friends arms weren't aced with the remains of the other boys. Lee just flashed a warm reassuring smile that both of them returned in kind. He then sat down after receiving a hug from Naruto and Hinata, before allowing things to return to normal.

"So, I hear your class is going on a survival training exercise next week, it sounds quite exciting." Both Naruto and Hinata turned to look at one another with cringing faces, both noting the other's odd expression. If anything, they were both thinking of the unusual situation regarding their parents and the said field trip.

"Well, It's gonna be really weird having Iruka there as my dad, but I think it's kinda cool as well" Naruto boasted, feeling really proud to have a father to accompany him. Hinata just blushed slightly at the thought of her own father being forced out of the clan's well furnished residence and into the discomfort of Konoha's forest.

"Well, knowing my father... it will most certainly be... interesting..." Both boys just laughed at the thought of the Hyuuga clan-head walking through the wilderness outside of the comfort of his home while swatting the mosquitoes that tried to devour his delectably noble blood like holding a banquet at a fine restaurant.

Naruto couldn't get the humorous images out of his head, the thought of seeing Hiashi doing a Kaiten just to rid himself of the pestering insects wasn't too far from what he'd imagine to be possible and his wild chuckle only grew even more as his imagination wandered even further. This, of course, caused Hinata to smile even more, even though she didn't quite know what he was laughing so hard about.

It most certainly would be interesting indeed and Lee also found himself wishing that he could go with just to see that happened. Of course, seeing the other clan heads attending as well would be a sight for sore eyes, especially with names like the Nara clan's Shikaku and the Akimichi's Chouza accompanying the lot. To see Chouji's dad going so long without a bag of chips in his hands or a finely cooked meal on his plate was something that had them all guessing as to what might happen.

--

After another long day at the academy, Naruto and Iruka found themselves making there way back home. After waving off Lee and Hinata at the front gates, the boy and his father began to make their way through the sunny streets, past the bustling stores and busy villagers. It was the first day in three months that Naruto wasn't heading to the training field, the first time he wouldn't see the teachers that had made him grow stronger. The boy couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed and he hardly managed to hide his shuddering breath as they made their way home. Iruka noticed his son's anxiety and decided to treat the boy in order to cheer him up a bit.

"So kiddo, feel like getting some ramen?" Naruto looked up to his teacher and father with a newfound smile, hardly being able to contain his glee at the thought of eating his favorite food.

"That sounds great dad! Today I'm gonna have eight bowels of miso ramen and two bowels of pork ramen... Maybe I'll even try their..."

"Whoa!!! Hold on their Naruto!!!" Iruka cut him off. "I still need to be able to pay for all of this remember..."

Naruto just chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, while flashing a cheeky grin that warned of more trouble to come. Iruka reacted bypulling the boy closer into his arms and scruffed the top of his hair, causing him to laugh playfully as he tried to escape the chunin's vice-like grasp. It was the first time in a while that the two of them just took a moment to relax and enjoy the sunshine, without having to train or study. Naruto was just being like any other kid playing with their father and it felt rather good to be doing so. As the two wrestled playfully on their way to the ramen stand, Iruka picked Naruto up into his arms and began to tickle the boy on his stomach, taking advantage of one of his son's biggest weaknesses.

"No... hehehehe.... please stop.... I can't breath.... hahahaha!!!"

The chunin just ignored the boy's please as he continued to prod him in his sensitive belly with prying fingers, easily bypassing Naruto's poor attempt at a defence. What he found most amusing was the fact that Naruto's eyes would briefly flash gold every time he hit a sensitive spot, no doubt reacting to his flaring emotions every time he burst out laughing from the ticklish exposure.

After a few more moments of torment, he eventually put the boy down again and gave him a moment to recover his breath and ease his aching stomach muscles. Naruto looked up to his father with a cheeky grin while still holding his hands against his stomach. The grumble that sounded from the depths of his bottomless pit stood in testimony to his hunger.

"Now I'm definitely going to have to have more ramen!!!" Iruka just laughed at the boy's words, before putting his arms around Naruto's shoulders and bringing him closer to his hold. Naruto's eyes began to close and his shoulders curled up tightly under the warmth of the man's touch while he leaned his head against Iruka's side. The smile on his face only grew even more as he felt the man's emotions running into him, the genuine feelings of love and acceptance that he had always longed for his entire life.

"You know dad... I'm really glad you found me... I'm glad you're the one who became my family... I ... I love you so much... and I just want to be with you forever..." Iruka almost choked up as he heard Naruto's words, but the boy's warm emotions he felt coming from the boy held back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I... I'm glad I found you too... I will always love you Naruto... no matter what happens..."

Both of them continued to walk in silence after that, neither one saying anything as they headed towards Ichiraku's. What they shared between them at that moment was something far more important than mere words could communicate. Love, acceptance, kindness... hope... these were the messages of that were shared through their touch and neither one of them would ever give up the bond that held them so close together, the bond that had taken the pieces of Naruto's shattered soul and carefully placed them back together again. Now it was the only real thing holding it together and it was also the one thing that was Naruto's greatest weakness and strength at the same time. It gave him a kind of power that he never thought he would ever find in himself, but by taking it away one would easily destroy the fragile young soul that depended on it so much.

The darkened spirit of a once normal man was now seeking to shatter that bond and with it, to destroy the single shining light of hope that stood in the path of eternal darkness consuming the world. The small blessing of hope that was given to the people of this world as it's last hopeful protector, the one that had been taken for granted and dragged through the mud with a fragile shattered soul, was now on the verge of being completely destroyed and the shadow that loomed over Konoha was growing darker by the day. Once that fragile hopeful light was gone, only the empty abyss of sorrow and pain awaited the world that saw the young boy, who's gift of light had been sent to aid them, as nothing more than a monster.

As father and son were finally coming close to their destination, walking down the now emptying streets under the late afternoon sun, Naruto felt his heart suddenly begin to freeze, warning him of a dark omen approaching in their direction. The young boy immediately came to a stop and Iruka could feel his body begin to tremble in his arms. The emotions he felt coming from Naruto's contact started to twist and deform, becoming almost unnatural all together and his skin began to grow cold to the touch. The chunin began to grow deeply concerned, it was the same way Naruto reacted when they felt the chakra spike from the battle with Tsukaimei, only this time it was lasting much longer.

"Hey kiddo, is there something wrong?" Naruto barely managed to speak in the sheer amount of panic that was filling his heart.

"It's... I don't know... there's something nearby... someone's trying to hurt us. It... it feels evil..."

Iruka was about to look around when he felt a sudden chakra spike coming from behind him. He turned around just in time to see a fist slamming into his stomach, sending him flying from Naruto's side and into the nearby building.

**"Dad!!!!" **Naruto was about to rush up to his father's side, when the shadowy figure grabbed him firmly by the arm filling his body with the cold emotions of a tortured heart. "Gaaaahhhh!!!! Naruto's body began to fill with pain as the unnatural feelings of hatred and anger began to fill into his soul. He was just about to collapse from the cruel exposure when he felt a kick land into the side of his chest, cracking his ribs in the impact and sending him flying into a nearby stand.

"I will deal with you later demon brat, but for now I'll have a bit of fun taking away the most precious thing you hold dear to your little heart." Naruto watched on with a heavy cringe of pain as the man ran up to the nearby building and jumped up to the hole in the side of the wall that had formed on the third floor.

"No... not my dad... I won't let you hurt him..." Naruto slowly tried to pull himself up from the floor but found his body wrought with the pain of his injuries. "Nnnggghhhh!!!!" The boy struggled against the excruciating agony that he felt in his chest and eventually found his feet, while fighting against the tears that stung at his eyes.

Kizashi jumped through the small opening that had formed in the side of the building, entering into the small room where his prey awaited, but Iruka was nowhere to be found. The man's darkened eyes carefully searched the walls for any signs of life, but before they could find their target a kunai flew out from the shadows with an explosive tag attached to it.

"Hmmm, very clever..." Kizashi expertly deflected the attack, allowing it to explode against the nearby wall, forming another hole to the outside. Just then, Iruka himself came charging into view with a kunai in hand, trying to take advantage of the distraction.

"I won't let you hurt Naruto!!!!!" The scarred man moved in to strike with an astounding speed, but his opponent reacted with an unnatural agility that could only be the result of some twisted power. Kizashi caught Iruka's hand in his own before slamming his palm into the chunin's chest, sending him flying into the nearby wall.

"Aggghhhh!!! Iruka landed with a heavy thud and an agonized wince, the blood was beginning to flow from his mouth, signifying the internal damage he had received from the blows. Whoever this man was, he seemed to hold an unnatural strength and power that definitely wasn't human. HIs eyes also burned with a cold darkness that spoke of an inherent evil that ate away at his soul.

"Hmhmhmhmhm, you know it's really funny to watch someone so weak trying to protect the demon child from harm. I think I will enjoy killing you almost as much as I will enjoy seeing his heart shatter!" Kizashi charged up to the disabled man with a kunai in hand, his body still wavering from the alcohol he had consumed, but somehow moving with unnatural vigor.

"Die now!!!!" Before the weapon could land it's mark, Naruto suddenly appeared between the two men, his eyes ablaze with the golden tinge of his Tenraigan. The boy quickly defected the attack with an open palm and slammed his other hand into the man's stomach, sending him skidding back a few feet before coming to a stop near the centre of the room.

"Naruto!!!" Iruka tried to stand to his feet to help protect his son, but found his wounds too painful to move against. Instead he was forced to watch as the boy continued to trade blows with their assailant, trying to move him further away from the most important person in his life, while expertly deflecting the man's attacks.

"So the brat wants to die first after all. Well I guess I can handle that!!!" Kizashi quickly spun into a sweeping kick that aimed for Naruto's head, but the boy saw the attack coming and quickly ducked to avoid the blow. He then formed a set of hand seas as he spun around on the floor, before rising up again and slamming both hands into the man's chest.

**"I won't let you hurt my dad!!!! Fuuton! Kaze no Arashi!!!!"**

A sudden burst of winds emanated from Naruto's hands and slamming straight into the man's chest, sending Kizashi flying through the hole in the wall and into the opposite building across the road. Naruto watched carefully as the thick plume smoke began to settle, thinking that he had managed to steal a victory, but something was still stirring in amongst the dust and debris.

"Oh no..."

Before the boy could react, the dark figure suddenly shot up into the air, blasting through the ceiling of the opposite building and coming down over above them. Naruto heard the crashing chatter of broken wood sounding from the floor above him, but before he could move out of the way, the ceiling caved away, revealing Kizashi as he came crashing down into the wooden floor next to the young boy. Naruto felt a hand grab onto his ankle, dragging him down with his attacker as the two crashed through the wooden floor and down onto the next one, before finally slamming his body into the ground with a heavy thud.

"Aaaggghhh!!!!" Naruto felt the wind get knocked out of him as his back slammed against the hard floor, while the shattered remains of falling debris caved in around him. He barely even had the chance to open his eyes, when the darkened figure of his attacker moved to stand over him. The man's foot slammed into the side of the boy's chest, causing another resounding crack, before sending him into the nearby wall.

**"Aaahhhh!!!!"** The boy's cries of pain were short lived as a hand slammed into his throat, not even giving his limp body the time to fall to the floor. Kizashi lifted Naruto into the air, allowing the youngster's feet to dangle lifelessly underneath him while the boy's hands tried desperately to free himself from the suffocating grasp.

"D...dad..." Naruto's call for help were now only strained screaches as his airways were tightened closed, while the cruel emotions of his attacker flowed into his vulnerable heart, filling it with anger, hatred and grief. Hs eyes began to fill with tears of an unimaginable pain as the cruelty of the torturous exposure continued, but Kizashi didn't once waver in his terrible assault.

"I was really hoping to watch you suffer even more before I killed you, but I guess this will have to do." The man's breath was still oozing with the remnants of the bitter smell of alcohol and his eyes were glazed with a maddened visage. "I will... enjoy watching the life leave those golden eyes of yours." Naruto's body slowly began to lose it's hold on consciousness as darkness began to consume him. His cries and struggles began to lesson as his battered body struggled with all the last vestiges of his strength.

"Dad..."

"Let go of him!!!" Suddenly, a shooting pain shot into Kizashi's back as a kunai embedded itself in his flesh, causing the man to release his deadly hold on Naruto and dropping him to the floor.

"Arrrgghhh!!!" Kizashi spun around to see a limping Iruka glaring back at him. "Why you little shit!!!!"

The man slammed his foot into the chunin's stomach with an unknown strength, sending the man flying across the room before skidding to a halt on the floor. Naruto watched with horror as he then pulled the bloodied knai out of his back and charged at Iruka, who was now bleeding heavily on the floor. The scarred man could do nothing to move out of the way.

"Why would you protect the demon!?!? Can't you see what he's doing to us!!!! He ruined my life and now you're both gonna pay!!!!!!" Just before the weapon hit its mark, a palm slammed firmly into the base of Kizashi's chest, halting him in his tracks. The man looked down to look at his attacker, only to see the tear strewn golden eyes of a young boy staring back at him, seemingly lost in a trance.

"You... how could..." As the man's body fell limply to the floor, Naruto flinched at the sound of the impact. He slowly looked over the motionless body as it lay on the ground, before collapsing to his knees in disbelief.

"No... I... I didn't mean to do it..." Iruka tried to pick himself up off the floor, but found his wounds too painful to even move.

"N... Naruto..." The boy suddenly jumped up to his feet as his sensei called out to him, before shooting around to see the man's bloodied form lying on the floor.

"No... dad!!!!!" The young boy quickly rushed up to his fathers side before kneeling down to look over him with his Tenraigan still blazing in his eyes and then began to scan over his life force. Naruto quickly put his hands on the chunin's chest in a moment of panic, transferring his lifeforce into the man to heal his wounds.

"No wait... Naruto don't. I'll be fine..." The boy didn't respond, he just continued to stare blankly at his father's body while transferring all the energy he could spare while mumbling aimlessly.

"I won't let you die.... I won't let you die..." Iruka tried to snap his son out of his trance, but he still wouldn't listen.

"Naruto, I'm not going to die, please stop!" Naruto's face began to grow pale as the energy continued to leave his body, while his eyes began to flood with the tears of his deepest fears. To see Iruka lying on the floor, covered in his own blood, had snapped something in the boy's heart and now Naruto found himself caught in a state of panic and confusion.

"Don't die... please... I can't lose you... I need you..." Iruka quickly sat up as soon as his body allowed it and grabbed Naruto's quivering arms before holding them together in his hands. The young blond suddenly snapped out of his delirium and looked up to meet his father's gaze. His golden eyes were now streaming with tears and were filled with sheer panic and terror of his ordeal.

"Dad...?" The emotions coming from his touch were almost unbearable as well and Iruka had to struggle just to keep holding on.

"Naruto, I'm fine... I'm alright... You've done enough..." Naruto's face fell into a heavy frown before he sank his head into the man's shoulders while Iruka wrapped his arms around the trembling form. The chunin held him tightly as he began to sob in his arms, trying to relieve the built up tension he felt inside.

"I... couldn't see anything dad... there were no more colours, no more lights... there was nothing left... I... " Naruto's words were barely audible as they interspersed between his heavy sobs, but Iruka understood what he was trying to say. The man just held him as tightly as possible, not wanting to let go for fear of him falling apart on the spot.

"There, there... it's not your fault. He would have killed us both if you didn't do anything. It's not your fault..." The boy just continued to cry in his father's arms, his heart now filled with the guilt of taking another man's life with his own two hands. His mind was now scarred with the images of what he had just witnessed, something that his bloodline had cursed him to see.

To watch as a person's soul left their body, to see his eyes become empty and watch the life inside him dwindle into darkness, it was something that no person should ever have to witness, much less the innocent heart of a young boy who couldn't possibly understand, but Naruto's eyes had seen it in all its horror. Iruka understood the pain that his son was going through, he could feel it in his touch, but even still, there was no way to truly comfort the boy. The only thing he could do was hold on tightly and wait for the tears to end, tears that he could not ease with a hug or wipe away with gentle hands. Only time could heal these terrible emotions, only time could mend this grievous wound against Naruto's heart.

"It's not right... It's not right that you have to always suffer like this Naruto. Why do you have to bear this curse? Why can't I just take it away from you and let you live in peace?"

After a few minutes of crying from the boy and gentle comforting on Iruka's part, Naruto eventually ran out of tears to shed. He slowly pulled away from his father's arms and wiped the tears from his face, while trying to control his violently quivering body. His eyes were still shining pure gold in colour, something that Iruka knew was attributed to his overwhelming emotions felt at the time. He gently placed his hands on his son's cheek and stroked it with a warm caressing touch, trying desperately to ease his overwhelming tension. Naruto seemed to relax a bit in the comfort of the expossure and raised his own hand to meet his fathers, holding it tightly against the side of his tear strewn face.

"Come on Kiddo, we should be going. I'll need to report what's happened here..." Naruto allowed another last shudder before silently nodding his head, but when the boy tried to stand, his legs gave way underneath him. Iruka managed to catch him just before he hit the ground and gently turned him onto his back in his arms, while looking over his battered body with panicked eyes.

"Naruto, are you alright!?" Naruto tried to respond, but there were no words, only the rasping sound of a strained voice. He felt his body weakening increasingly by the second and he could barely even move his arms or legs. Iruka noticed that his skin was cold to the touch, the same as it had been after he had healed Lee thee months before and he realized that the boy had just expended a large amount of his life force in order to heal his own father's wounds.

"Alright Naruto, don't try to move or talk. I'll get you to the hospital as quickly as possible." Iruka picked his son's battered and bruised body up into his arms, noticing with a heavy frown that his face was a now sickening pale colour. He then headed out of the building, leaving behind the dead body of their attacker. He never noticed the dark cloud leaving the lifeless corpse that lay on the floor, nor the evil aura that accompanied it's advance. He only cared about the well-being of the boy in his arms.

"Naruto, I need you to close your eyes okay, we can't let anyone see them right now." Naruto could only respond with a struggled nod, being to weak to do or say anything else, and then closed his eyes. After a few more seconds, Iruka felt his breathing begin to lessen and realized that he had obviously passed out from the exhaustion of his ordeal. He only hope that the boy didn't push himself to far in trying to save him.

"Thanks Naruto... I really owe you one..." With that, the chunin took off across the rooftops, heading off to the hospital with Naruto in his arms. They would have a lot of explaining to do in due time, but the boy's safety came first in Iruka's eyes.

--

Well, it was a difficult chapter for me to write. I only hope it came out alright...  
Hope you enjoyed! ^ ^

**Note: Fuuton! Kaze no Arashi** = Wind release! Wind tempest/storm.


	22. Chapter 22 The Price of Love

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey everyone! I guess I was able to update before the new year after all! (You can thank my dark habit for that one)! :D  
I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and that you're all safe from any travels you may have undertaken (or are still in the process of undertaking). **Lets say cheers to a new year!!!! Woohoo!!!! **O_o

Anyway, this chapter is a bit of an emotional one, in fact I myself had a difficult time writing it. Is it weird for a writer to become emotional when reading their own work, or is it high time that the men in white suits paid me a long due visit? lol! XD

It's also quite a chaotic chapter as well, what with appearances from the Kyuubi, more flashy and rather destructive entrances from our favorite psychotic jounin 'Anko' and finally the dreaded confrontation with Jiraiya that many have been waiting for, you can be sure that things are definitely getting heated this time.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter! :)

--

**Chapter 22 - The Price of Love**

The dark tattered halls of rusting metal and dripping pipes slowly materialized into view as the eyes of a young boy painfully began to pry themselves open, once again revealing the massive prison that held the curse that had brought him so much misery and pain. Naruto slowly tried to lift himself off the water-strewn floor, but found his body to weak to escape the icy embrace. His clothes were completely soaked with the cold dampness of his greatest nightmare and his body began to tremble in the harsh exposure, unable to withstand the chill.

"D...dad..."

Naruto's rasped calls were only answered with a deep growl that shook the entire room in its power, filling the boy's body with the fear of a monster's unimaginable wrath. Soon afterwards, two deep red eyes appeared behind the iron cage at the end of the room, holding the battered and weakened form of the young boy with both frustrated anger and a deep contempt. The darkened voice that followed threatened his wavering soul with the cruelty of his hatred, malice and scorn.

_"That is the second time you've almost killed yourself to save one of those lowly humans, the same ones that have done everything in their power to harm you. I'm beginning to think that you enjoy the pain, that you actually welcome it."_

Naruto could barely open his mouth to speak and his body was wrought with an unknown agony that almost brought him to tears, but he would not allow them to fall in front of the curse that had stained his life. It felt like all his energy had been drained out of him and he was now just an empty shell lying on the floor, completely at the mercy of his captive's malice.

"I... I had to save ... my dad, even if it cost my life. If he died, then... then it wouldn't be worth living anymore. He's... the only one who ever... loved me..." The Kyuubi just laughed at what he thought was a pathetic defense on Naruto's part, but the boy's eyes held a truthful spark that brought a deep sense ire to the great monster.

"_Love... is that what you risk your life for? Love is nothing but a false hope, an illusion that humans divulge in just so that they can escape the cold hard truth of this world."_

"What… truth is that?" Naruto muttered in response, barely able to keep his eyes open.

_"The truth... that the world is a cruel and unforgiving place, that the only thing that counts is how much power you have. Those who don't have power, are forever destined to be ruled by that of another's hand. That is why you are so weak, that is why you have fallen prey to the cruelty of those who hate you."_

Naruto tried to make sense of what the great Kitsune was saying, but no matter how much he tried, he just couldn't see the meaning in his words. All his life, he had met with the cruelty of others, those who used their power only to hurt him in his weakness. All his life his tears would fall in his pain and loneliness, never once relenting as he was constantly abused by those around him. The one thing that saved him, the only thing that had given him true strength and hope, was now being discarded as nothing more than a useless commodity.

"You're... wrong!" The Kyuubi was slightly taken aback by the boy's defiance of his words, but Naruto continued his argument unabated.

"There... are also people who... care... people like dad and Lee, my teachers and my friends, the ones who showed me that I can be strong, that I can be somebody, that I'm more than just the monster everyone sees me for. What do you know about love? I bet you've never loved anything in your life before, I bet you've never had someone that was so precious to you, that the thought of losing them made you feel like dying inside. To have someone so important, that you stayed awake crying every night just because you were afraid of being abandoned by them." The boy's voice was wrought with the pain of a hidden truth, a truth that only he really understood in the injustice of his cruel life.

There was no response from the great fox, only the narrowed red eyes that hid behind the cold iron bars. Naruto looked deep into the glowing, hateful orbs that glared back at him and saw something he didn't expect to see. He saw... pain, something he never thought he would witness in the eyes of such a powerful monster, but it was definitely there and it was unmistakable to the young boy's knowing gaze. He knew the look all to well, it was something that he had become far too accustomed to seeing whenever he looked in the mirror, but even still he did not relent in his argument.

"I... only became stronger because of the... people that cared for me. I wouldn't have ever survived if it wasn't for their help." The great fox just growled lowly behind the dark abyss of his cage, causing the boy to tremble even more in the wake of his dreadful anger.

_"You think love grants you power!?!? Love is a weakness, one that is easily manipulated and turned against you without a moment's notice. Do you think that it's love that drives you to protect your precious Iruka? Then perhaps you have already been blinded by its illusion. Can you not see that your so-called feelings for him have only placed him in even more danger? He almost died because he was trying to protect you and you call that love?!"_

Naruto winced slightly at the fox's words, but as painful as it was for him to hear, he knew the Kitsune was right in his own distorted way. Iruka was only put in danger because of caring for him and now that guilt was beginning to eat away at his soul. How could he willingly accept someone's love when he knew that in return, that precious soul was only being placed in greater danger for his sake? The young boy just lay there quietly in the ensuing silence, the tears that had threatened before now slowly appearing in the corners of his eyes despite his efforts to stem them. The Kyuubi knew he had hit a sore spot and then continued his assault on the boy's now aching heart unchallenged.

_"I have warned you kid, the more you hold onto this precious love of yours, the more you will stand to lose in the end. It will only lead to more pain and suffering and I cannot bear to deal with your weak emotions and tears any longer. You should be grateful for this accursed link that bonds us together, otherwise you may already be long dead."_

Before Naruto could even respond or ask what the Kitsune had meant by this 'link' he mentioned, the world around him began to grow dark and he found his body falling into unconsciousness once more. The last thing he heard was one final word of warning from the great fox.

_"Know this kid, I felt a great evil inside the heart of the one that attacked you, a power and chakra similar only to that of my own. Whatever is trying to get to you, it is definitely powerful, far more powerful than you could ever imagine. You had best be careful in future, least we both die because of your reckless negligence..."_ After that, only darkness and emptiness followed, wrapping the young boy's soul in it's cruel embrace while the Kyuubi's words echoed throughout the hollowed landscape of his deteriorating, shattered young mind. A mind now reeling with the agony of his guilt and sorrow.

"Dad... I'm sorry..."

--

As the shadow began to lift off of Naruto's eyes, his gaze slowly began to focus on the room around him. His blurred, swimming vision became nauseating and the white walls around him only increased his anxiety even more. As the room slowly came into view, Naruto realized that it was morning and that he was in bed again, only this bed was not his own. He looked over his aching body, only to notice that his chest was bandaged around his ribs and his arm had an Iv drip firmly planted in its surface. The young boy began to panic, not knowing where he was or whether it was even safe but his body would hardly move in the sheer exhaustion that encumbered him. His eyes darted around the room in front of his gaze, desperately trying to search for his father, while his heart began to race in his chest. His breathing became heavier as he tried to call out for help, but his voice was only a low screech, still burning from his weakness.

Suddenly the young boy felt a hand gently wrap itself around his own, holding it warmly in its comforting touch. Naruto immediately felt the calming emotions coming from the exposure and his nerves slowly came to a settle. He turned his head to the side to see who it was, only for his gaze to be met with the comforting visage of Iruka's smiling face.

"I'm here kiddo, I'm still here. I never left your side... not once..." Naruto felt his heart begin to squeeze in his chest and his face scrunched up with a discomforting expression that told Iruka he was trying to fight back his tears.

"D... dad... you're alright." Naruto's voice was raspy and incoherent, but although Iruka could hardly hear what his son was saying, the wavering words still hit him loud and clear and he could easily make out the relief he felt coming from Naruto's touch. The hand that he held in his own began to squeeze tightly around him, desperately holding on lest their new captive try to leave again. It was all the boy could do short of hugging the life out of his father and it was also all he could do to keep the man from leaving his side again.

"Of course I'm alright!" Iruka finally responded in a somewhat deadpan tone. "I had you there to help me after all. I brought you to the hospital after you passed out."

Naruto's face slowly fell into a frown again and his blue eyes turned away from the man's gaze, hiding themselves in both shame and guilt while his mind recited the Kyuubi's painful words back to him. Iruka immediately noticed the sudden change in his emotions and couldn't help but frown in concern. Naruto's hand began to squeeze even more tightly around his own, almost as if to steal away one last gift of any strength it could gain, before releasing its grip all together.

"Hey, what's wrong kiddo?" Iruka stammered, shocked by the sudden change in his son. The chunin tried to squeeze his hand again, to tell him that it was alright to hold on, but the boy's body didn't respond. There were only the empty words that fell in a near whisper from his mouth.

"I... It's all my fault. I almost got you killed..." Iruka flinched slightly, wondering how the boy came to such an abrupt conclusion, but before he could respond Naruto continued speaking in an empty monotone, his rasping voice holding within it all the pain and grief he felt inside.

"They were... trying to hurt me by taking you away from me. That's all they ever want to do, to hurt me in any way they can, to take away everything... I love. Why? Why can't I just love something without someone trying to use it to hurt me? Why can't I ever just be loved, is it too much to ask for? Does the world really… hate me... that much? Did my… parents hate me just as much as well? Is that why they abandoned me?"

The soft trickle of glimmering tears began to stream down the boy's face and onto the pillow that held his head, shimmering in the warm sunlight that bathed the room. Iruka was trying to find a way to respond, but he knew that there was little that he could say to ease Naruto's tension. After all, how could you tell a boy, who knew more about pain and loneliness than you could ever imagine, that he wasn't hated even though the world clearly spoke otherwise. The pain he felt coming from Naruto's touch was far worse than the pain he felt when he first hugged him in the academy grounds and the boy's hand was now trembling in his own, still not returning his grip but also not daring to leave either, probably in the fear of losing what little strength it gained from the exposure.

Whatever the boy was feeling right now, it was a torture far worse than what he had endured for all the years he was beaten in his orphanage. This psychological wound cut deeper than any physical wound he had ever received and Iruka knew then and there that whatever damage their attacker had aimed to inflict on the boy, he had obviously succeeded in every regard. Whoever was after him, they didn't just want to kill Naruto, they wanted to see him suffer the worst imaginable kind of torture. They wanted to see his eyes empty and his soul shatter. They wanted to destroy everything that made Naruto special, everything that made Iruka love him so much, the very reason he was such a precious gift to those around him even though the rest of the world couldn't see it.

They wanted to destroy who he was deep inside... a young and caring boy who, despite how cruel the world was to him, still gave it his gift of kindness and love... a love that was never returned to him in kind except by the very few people who saw him for who he really was. Iruka took a moment to think about what to say and then reached over with his other free hand, holding it against the side of Naruto's chin. The boy tried to move away from him, but a gentle pull turned his face towards his father, who tried his best to keep his composure as two golden eyes looked back at him. The amount of guilt he saw in those eyes was almost unbearable but even more painful was the fact that they looked so alone, like they had already been abandoned by the rest of the world, even by their own father.

"Look Naruto, what happened yesterday wasn't your fault. You can't control how people act any more than you can control the weather. Sometimes you'll have to endure a terrible storm, but it's something that will eventually pass. Even the worst storms don't last forever, you just have to wait it out until the sun shines again."

Naruto's expression was unchanging despite the warm emotions Iruka tried to feed to him. He couldn't understand why someone would willingly put themselves in harms way to protect him. That kind of selfless love was something he couldn't fathom after receiving nothing but hatred and cruelty his entire life, even though he himself had already given it to someone else unknowingly.

"But dad, you could have died because of me. I almost got you killed... just like I almost got Lee killed. If something happens to you I..." Naruto looked down again, his gaze once again retreating from the man in front of him.

"... I wouldn't... survive if something happened to you. Maybe, if I died... instead of that man... then maybe things would be better." Iruka jumped in his seat as Naruto spoke, something that the boy noticed, but he still didn't stop. "If I was gone, then you would be safe again and no-one else would have to get hurt because of me. Maybe it's better that I'm left alone and unwanted... that way no-one will miss me when I'm gone..."

"Don't talk like that!" Iruka cut him off, no longer able to bear the self inflicted torture Naruto was putting himself through. The boy flinched as he heard the anger and harshness in his father's voice, but it was an anger that wasn't directed at him, and it only hid within itself a painful grief and overwhelming sense of failure.

"I don't want to hear you talk about yourself like that alright. You're my son, despite what anyone else might try to say or do, and I....... I love you too much to see you get hurt and be left alone again. I won't let that happen... I won't let you do that to yourself... even if it costs me my life I wont let that happen to you..."

This time, it was Iruka's turn to allow his tears to fall, the tears a loving father would shed when he saw his child in so much pain. The chunin noticed his son's eyes widen in surprise, almost as though he had just witnessed the very birth of the universe itself. To hear someone say that about him, to willingly admit that they loved him so much that they would actually die for him, it was something he never thought possible, but the emotions he felt coming from his father told him every word was true and it only caused his heart to ache even more. His eyes slowly made there way back up to meet his father's, this time holding a different pain to what they contained before. Now letting go was that much harder, but the guilt in Naruto's heart was still too strong for him to ignore.

"But dad, I killed someone... I watched him... dying... right in front of me and it's all my fault. When I looked into his eyes, just before everything went dark, I saw some of… of his memories. He looked so... happy before, he even had a family... and friends that loved him as well, but now I've taken that all away. How can you love me after I've done something like that? How can you love a monster like me?"

"Naruto that wasn't your fault and you're not a monster." Iruka replied, trying to hold the tears that still streamed down his face. "You were just trying to protect me. It was his choice to attack us, not yours. You had nothing to do with that." Iruka looked over his son, trying to see if the boy understood what he was trying to explain, but the pain still didn't leave Naruto's eyes. The chunin took another brief moment to think and then spoke again, this time in a gentle, understanding tone.

"Look Naruto, do you have someone important to you, someone you love more than anyone could ever imagine?" Naruto just nodded numbly in his tears, trying to understand where his father was going with this. Although Iruka already knew how the boy would respond, he had to make his point.

"Do you love them enough to always protect them, even if you knew it would cost you your life?" Naruto didn't even have to think of his answer as the images of his teachers and his friends flashed through his mind. He nodded again, only this time he was finally beginning to understand and the look on his father's face spoke volumes in itself.

"That's right Naruto.... that's how I feel as well. That's also how I want to protect you Naruto, that's how much I… love you..." Naruto's tears began to flow even more as his father spoke the kind words of wisdom that would forever engrave themselves into his heart. He just didn't know what to do anymore, he didn't know why everything was so hard all the time. Why was love so painful?

"But... I don't want you to get hurt for me... I don't want to lose you but… but I also..."

"You also don't really want to be alone again either..." Iruka finished him off numbly. "You don't want to be... abandoned…" Naruto just froze for a moment, before nodding slowly once again with a heavy sob. A few moments of silence followed, neither one knowing what to say to the other. After what felt like forever, Iruka finally spoke again, this time with a small smile allowing itself to appear on his faced despite the tears that still clung firmly to his cheeks.

"Alright then, I know what we have to do..." Naruto looked over to his father again, his mind filled with confusion as he tried to decipher why the chunin was suddenly smiling and why he felt such comforting emotions coming from the man's touch. "I tell you what Naruto, I'll make a deal with you. Let's both promise to grow stronger together, as strong as we can possibly become. That way we can still be with each other and we can watch over one another if something goes wrong. Then you won't have to be alone anymore." Iruka then held up his free hand and extended his pinky, waiting for his son to take hold.

"What do you say kiddo? I promise I won't ever leave you, no matter what happens, if you just give me the chance to make things right. It would make me happy just having you there by my side as my son, just let me protect you... please let me be there for you as well..."

Naruto knew that no matter what he said, Iruka would not take 'no' for an answer and he couldn't help but feel his heart warm at the man's efforts to save him from loneliness. He was finally beginning to understand what having a family really meant. It wasn't just about loving each other and living in the same house. It was about truly being there for one another, no matter how tough and painful life became or how cruel the world seemed to be, even through the prospect death itself. The boy's tears still didn't stop falling, only this time they fell for a different reason all together. Naruto slowly began to weakly raise his hand to meet his father's, before wrapping his own pinky around that of the man who gave him the most precious gift he could ever hope to receive. Iruka felt the boy's small trembling finger squeezing his own tightly and the look on his face spoke of an inner relief that had now swept over him.

"Alright dad... I promise... we'll both become strong for each other… no matter what."

Iruka smiled warmly and felt the other small hand that he held slowly reengaging its grip on his own, no longer being afraid to hold on any more, no longer afraid to accept the love that it felt flowing through their touch. The emotions he felt at that point in time could not be explained or even comprehended. It was something more than love, something more than one could read about in a book or explain by word of mouth. It was something he knew was of Naruto's own making and he also knew it that was definitely positive.

"Thanks dad... I ... love... you... so, so much..." After that there was nothing but silence as the two continued to bask in the comfort of one another's presence. It was all that was needed at this point in time... for both of them, and their tears gently began to melt away in the warm sunlight.

--

"What do you mean you don't know where he is!? He was only admitted a few hours ago! Just look through your register again and search for Naruto Uzumaki. It's not that difficult!!!"

Kurenai's voice was quickly growing into a furious rage, having now become fed up by the incompetence of the hospital staff, especially the receptionist behind the counter. She knew they were just trying to be difficult, trying to keep a certain boy from seeing those who were close to him.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't have anyone by that name in our books, you must be mistaken."

The red-eyed jounin was just about ready to unleash a terrible genjutsu the likes of which the earth had never seen before, but her common sense quickly calmed her down, knowing that it would only cause more problems for her and Naruto and that was something that the said boy didn't need right now. The jounin gave one last scowl of blatant disapproval, releasing with it a small amount of killing intent that had the lady behind the counter gulping in discomfort. She then turned on her heels and stepped away from the reception, while her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

"**Damned idiots****!!!** Why does everyone always have to be so pathetically stupid all the time?" Kurenai proceeded to pace up and down the small waiting room, trying to stifle her angered muttering and complete discontent.

It had only been one full day since she saw Naruto and the boy was already in hospital again. After she had received Iruka's message about what had happened, she hurried over as quickly as she could to see if he was alright, only to be barred from visiting the boy because of the ignorance of those that held him in such a hateful light. As she continued to pace up and down the hall, while growling barely coherent words of a deep anger, a voice calmly called out to her from nearby.

"I see you're having just as much trouble as I am..." Kurenai paused in her tracks before looking over to the side of the room, only to see Kakashi standing quietly against the nearby wall. The masked jounin quickly put away the small orange book held firmly in his hand and proceeded to walk over to the fuming jounin.

"They won't tell me where he is either, so I decided to just wait around until I heard something to the contrary." Kurenai allowed her hands to slowly relax and released a deep breath, at least she wasn't the only one worried about Naruto, at least someone else cared as well.

"Why do they always see him as a monster, why can't they just see him for who he is?" Kakashi didn't answer, instead opting to allow a heavy sigh on his part. Of course, there was no need for any talk between the two, because they were already thinking the same thing. After a few moments of frustrated silence between the two, Kurenai suddenly propped up and looked around the room, searching for something or someone as a thought snapped into her mind.

"Hey, isn't there someone else missing? Shouldn't..." Before the jounin could even finish her sentence a sudden crashing sound was heard just outside the door. Both jounin looked over with curious faces towards the entrance, along with the rest of the hospital staff and patients waiting in the room.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." both Kurenai and Kakashi murmured, almost in unison.

After a few more moments of uncomfortable silence, a sudden explosion blasted into the entrance, blowing away the wooden doors in a plume of fire and smoke. Kurenai quickly ducked underneath one of the now flying doors while Kakashi calmly side stepped another, not even bothering to look as it approached. It was almost as though he had already expected what was going to happen. The two then turned to gaze at the newly formed entrance, only to see a silhouetted form standing in the smoke and dust.

**"ALRIGHT!!!!! WHERE IS HE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"** Both jounin simply sweat dropped as the smoke began to clear, revealing the provocative form of a certain psychotic jounin as she stepped into the room. Her eyes glowed with a terrifying anger that warded off any ideas one might have to get in the way of her objective.

"Well, I guess Anko's finally arrived..." Kakashi sighed, almost despondently. "Maybe now we'll finally get somewhere." The purple haired jounin immediately noticed her two companions standing in the middle of the room and quickly walked over to where they were waiting.

"Well!?!? Where's Naruto? I thought you two would already be in his room." Kakashi just repressed another sigh, instead allowing Kurenai to do the talking. The red-eyed woman just shook her head in frustration before looking over to the reception area.

"We've been having some... difficulties ascertaining his current location at this point in time." Anko just looked over to where Kurenai's gaze had fallen and then turned back two her companions with a heavy sigh. There was nothing more to be said, she already knew what was going on and her anger only built up even more.

_'Mission accepted...'_

Anko slowly turned on her heals and proceeded to walk calmly up to the now trembling woman that waited behind the counter, almost too calmly, while ignoring the fearful stares from the others waiting in the room. As she stepped up to the wooden desk, she slowly leaned over until their two faces almost met, her own face falling into a heavy frown that warned of an imminent pain to follow lest anyone dare to deny the young woman her request.

"Alright pork chops, listen closely! You _**are**_ going to tell me where Naruto Uzumaki is and you're going to tell me right _**now**_. If you try to mislead me, or just ignore my request, I'm simply going to kill you right where you're sitting, do you understand me?" The jounin's voice was uncharacteristically calm and shallow, but the deep anger and frustration hidden within it was unmistakable even to an untrained ear. The lady behind the counter took a deep gulp of dread before nodding nervously, immediately realizing that this was no idle threat, and then proceeded to look through her register once more.

"O... oh, y... you mean _that_ N... Naruto Uzumaki? I m... must have missed him. He's in room 39... third floor...." Anko didn't appreciate the feigned ignorance on the woman's part, but was still pleased with the results of her intimidation none-the-less. She quickly flashed her trademark sadistic grin, the same one that warned of her mentally unstable urge to kill, and then stepped back from the counter.

"Thank you very much. Now if you don't mind, we'll be off. I have someone important in need of a visit..." The jounin then turned to face her two companions, who both jumped when they saw the unusual expression on her face, but Anko didn't stop smiling in the success of her interrogation, one that would have even made Ibiki jealous.

"Alright kiddies, lets go visit the brat!!!" Kurenai couldn't help but grin slyly in the ensuing panic that she saw in the room and she knew that under his mask, Kakashi had the same expression as she did. The three of them quietly walked over to the stairs and disappeared from view, leaving behind the terrified remnants of those who had witnessed the righteous fury of an overly protective heart.

_'Mission successful...'_

--

The three jounin made there way up to the third floor and towards the room in which Naruto resided. After a brief knock on the door, A muffled "come in" could be heard from inside the room, prompting them to enter. Naruto looked up from his now seated position as his teachers walked through the door, prompting him to smile despite the pain he was in, something that made Iruka himself warm inside when he saw it.

"Hey guys!!! I knew you'd come!!!" The three protective figures smiled their greetings in return, although Anko's was more of a heavy grin.

"Hey brat! I leave you alone for one moment and look at you!!! You look like you've just been through one of our training sessions!!!" Naruto couldn't help but giggle slightly at the jounin's attempt to cheer him up, although it was rather weak and his voice was still strained, something that Anko noted with a heavy cringe. When she looked over Naruto's face, she couldn't help but notice the tear stains on the sides of his cheeks, as well as the bandages that circumvented around his bare chest.

There was also an Iv drip attached to the boy's arm, which was no doubt a precautionary measure needed in order to restore some of his lost strength and to provide his body some nourishment, especially after having used some of his own life to heal the wounds that Iruka had sustained. The purple haired jounin slowly marched over to the side of the bed and seated herself in an open chair, not far from Iruka.

"Heh... well, I brought you some dango. I know how much hospital food sucks so I thought you'd like some real food to eat." Anko watched as Naruto's face immediately lit up while she took the small box of treats to give to him.

"Thanks Anko-sensei! I was really hungry..." Everyone watched as the young boy quickly dug into his tasty meal, almost as though he hadn't eaten in days, but that wasn't what concerned them as Naruto smiled weakly back at them. They could all see it, as clear as daylight. The emotional mask... the disarming smile... the entire act that Naruto put on just to keep the ones he cared for from worrying about him. It was all far too easy to notice, especially after being with him for so long.

His smile wasn't the same as it was before, it wasn't the same smile that warmed their hearts or brought them so much happiness and hope, but rather an empty smile filled with a hidden pain, and the sorrow in Naruto's eyes was clearly visible for them all to see. Anko had already witnessed it before, it was the same way she would act to hide her own true feelings from the world around her after Orochimaru had betrayed her and she couldn't help but frown in discomfort. Naruto seemed to notice her falling expression because for a brief moment his own smile faded away as well, despite his efforts to hold onto it while finishing his food.

"T... thanks for the dango..." Naruto murmured, while slowly placing the empty box on the table beside him. Everyone noticed his hand trembling as he did so. "... It was... really good." The boy then flashed another weak smile, but this time his face began to contort uncomfortably and the painful expression was now becoming too much to bear.

"T... that's... enough Naruto..." The boy almost visibly flinched as Anko spoke in a near whisper and his expression quickly fell away again, allowing the pain he felt inside to show through.

"You don't have to hide your feelings from us. You don't need to protect us. We're stronger than you think..." The jounin then proceeded to place her hand on Naruto's own, causing the boy to flinch in discomfort. She could feel his body beginning to tremble and his emotions began to flare.

"I....." Naruto looked over to his father with a questioning stare, almost as if to ask for his guidance, but the chunin just shook his head. There was no way out of this one, but Naruto found himself wondering if he really wanted to deny their gift of kindness and the aid they so willingly offered his wounded heart. Anko allowed for the uneasy silence that followed before speaking once more.

"Naruto... I don't want to see you making the same mistakes I did... I don't want to see you hiding your emotions from those closest to you, it will just end up tearing you apart inside. Sometimes you have to let other people care for you, sometimes you have to allow them to share your pain. I know this now because... because you're the one that taught me that important lesson."

Everyone that was listening were somewhat surprised by the seemingly deep wisdom in Anko's voice, but then again it wasn't that hard to believe after what happened between them just two days before. Naruto just sat there silently, not knowing what to say or do, not knowing how he could repay the ones who had given him the strength to survive. After a few more moments, Kakashi eventually spoke up to break the deadly silence.

"So, what happened to the one who attacked you?" Iruka noticed Naruto jump in his skin and sighed heavily, knowing that Naruto still felt bad about being forced to take another life.

"He's... dead..." Kakashi just gave an understanding nod and then looked over to Naruto, who's eyes were now firmly fixed to the white sheets that covered his legs. He didn't need to know any more and the expression on the boy's face spoke clearly of what had happened.

Just then, another knock was heard at the door and everyone in the room looked over as a figure wearing a dark cloak and ANBU mask stepped into the room. The unknown shinobi gave a small, courteous bow to its occupants before addressing them in a formal tone.

"I am sorry to disturb you, but lord Hokage-sama has sent me to investigate the events surrounding the incident that occurred late yesterday afternoon. The aflicted scene has already been cleared and the body of the attacker has been moved to autopsy for analysis. I just need an official first hand report from either Iruka Umino or Naruto Uzumaki."

Iruka slowly stood from his chair and walked over to the doorway to explain what had happened. There was no way in hell he was going to let anyone interrogate his son at this point in time, especially in his current state of mind, and he knew how painful it would be for the boy to recite the previous day's events. After giving a detailed account on how they were attacked without provocation by someone who was clearly drunk and also somewhat delusional, Iruka finished off with a heavy breath, ending his story just before telling the official how Naruto had stopped the attacker with a finishing blow.

"I see..." The masked figure murmured almost under his breath. "So how was it that your attacker ended up dead?" Iruka looked over to the young blond sitting quietly at the end of the room, noting his falling expression and guilt ridden eyes. He then looked back over to the waiting ANBU with a heavy frown.

"I... managed to wound the man with a kunai to the back. A few moments after that he just fell onto the floor and as far as I could tell, he was dead. I guess he must have died from severe blood loss or maybe even shock."

Of course, this was all a lie, but Iruka knew all to well that if the village council found out that Naruto had killed another Konoha shinobi, even if it was in self defence, they would somehow find a way to blame him for it. They would try to victimize his attacker and make out like it was the so called _'monster'_ that had struck first. The chunin just couldn't bare the thought of seeing his son rot away in the dark, lonely confines of one of Konoha's prison cells for a crime he didn't commit. No-one would question it if he admitted to dealing the fatal blow, but Naruto, on the other hand, would be torn apart without any mercy. The ANBU seemed to stare curiously for a brief moment, almost as if to consider the man's explanation with a great amount of thought, before eventually bowing to Iruka in thanks for his cooperation.

He then slowly made his way out the door before closing it behind him, leaving its occupants in peace once more. There was almost a unanimous sigh of relief after the masked figure had disappeared and Iruka turned to see his son's eyes staring back at him with what only could be described as a deep sense of gratitude. The young man gave off a reassuring smile that seemed to put the boy at ease and then walked back towards the side of Naruto's bed, but before he could get far there was another knock at the door.

"Oh Kami... who is it this time?" The chunin growled to himself. Iruka quickly turned on his heels and walked over to open the door while mentally slapping his forehead in disbelief. Couldn't they just be left in peace for one moment? The man quickly opened the door with a deep scowl signifying his frustration, but his expression quickly soured into a heavy frown when he saw who it was that awaited outside.

"You... what are you doing here?" Jiraiya simply shrugged at the cold greeting he knew he would receive, but now was not the time to back away. He quickly placed his hand on Iruka's arm and pulled him into the hallway, before closing the door from prying ears.

"What the hell are you thinking coming here now!?! Are you trying to give Naruto a heart attack?" The toad Sannin simply walked over to the nearby wall, ignoring the chunin's rants, and then leaned against the hard surface. Iruka fell silent as the man turned back to face him with what only could be described as an agonized expression, one that held within it the painful realization of a grim truth.

"Oh... so I guess you know now..." The older man just nodded numbly, not even bothering to speak in fear of his voice betraying his emotions.

"Good... then you know why it's dangerous for you to see him right now. After everything he's been through, I would have thought that you would have been wise enough to stay away from him. He's already been disappointed enough times without having you coming to fill his heart with more false hope or empty apologies." Jiraiya didn't even bother to try and defend himself from the harsh judgment that fell onto his ears and the pain that squeezed at his heart was now becoming unbearable. After hearing about what Naruto had been through, after learning about the consequences of abandoning the boy had really been, he now found himself wrought with the unforgiving pain of his own guilty conscience.

"I'm sorry..." Iruka just shook his head disapprovingly, despite the man's efforts to apologize.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to, I'm not the one who was beaten every night." Although Iruka's words were harsh, Jiraiya knew it was just his fatherly instincts coming into play to protect his son from harm, a role that he knew he should have played in Naruto's life but had blatantly failed to do so.

"I thought... that I was protecting him. I never thought that the villagers would do this to him. I had always hoped that he would have been treated like a hero just as the Fourth had wished, but now I see that they only saw him as..."

"As a monster..." Iruka saw what looked like tears stinging at the back of the Sannin's eyes as he finished the words that Jiraiya could not speak himself. "But that's exactly how he was treated. All his life he was left alone and isolated, with only the beatings he received to remind him of physical human contact."

"I know that now..." Jiraiya muttered in response. "... that's why I need to make things right. That's why I need to apologize for all the pain I've caused him. Please Iruka, just give me a chance to say sorry, to make up for what I've done." Iruka could see the pain in the sanin's eyes and he knew that the old man was being genuine in his request, but even still, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about the whole situation.

"It's not me you have to convince Jiraiya, it's Naruto. I just don't know if now's the right time to see him..."

"Now's the only time." Jiraiya cut him off. "I've waisted enough time already and I can't afford to let it slip by any more than it already has. I have to make things right between us now or I may never have the chance again..." Iruka scratched his chin in thought for a brief moment while Jiraiya watched on with a hopeful expression. After a few moments, the chunin finally responded.

"Fine, I'll let you see him. After all, whether or not he forgives you is his choice to make, not mine."

The sanin gave a grateful nod and then watched as Iruka walked over to the door again. As the chunin opened it to reveal the room inside, Jiraiya felt his heart begin to sink into his stomach. This was going to be hard, he had no doubt about that. He only hoped it wasn't already to late to mend the damage he had done, to make up for the life he should have given Naruto himself. The two slowly walked into the room, catching everyone's gaze as they did so. Jiraiya noticed the animosity on the other jounin's faces and the panic on Naruto's expression, something that made his chest hurt even more.

Anko was busy helping the boy stand to his feet, while Kurenai removed the drip that was in his arm. They were no doubt already getting him ready to leave the hospital as soon as possible, not wanting to keep the boy in a place where he felt so uncomfortable for too long. The silence that followed was almost deafening, but Iruka quickly spoke before it became completely overwhelming.

"Naruto, if you don't mind, Jiraiya-sama just wants to have a word with you alone for a moment." Iruka watched as his son's legs immediately began to tremble, his small body only being held up by the purple haired jounin that stood at his side.

Anko responded to the boy's flaring emotions by glaring violently at the Sannin that had caused his discomfort, but Iruka's shaking head quickly tossed away any 'death and torture' related ideas she had sitting at the back of her mind. The chunin then walked up to his son and knelt down in front of the boy, gaining his eyes as he did.

"Look Naruto, I promise this will be the last time you have to speak to him. Just give him a chance to say what he needs to say and after that, if you don't want to see him ever again, then no-one will force you to. Is that alright?"

Naruto seemed to think about the question for a moment, but he eventually nodded. "F... fine... I'll listen..."

The chunin gave a subtle sigh of relief and then placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, squeezing it gently to calm his nerves and to offer him some strength for what would soon follow. He then stood to his feet again and motioned for everyone else to follow him outside. Although no-one was comfortable with what was happening, none of them dared to argue with Iruka's reasoning, after all, if anyone knew what was good for Naruto it was him. Jiraiya watched as they silently made their way out the door before closing it behind them and then turned back to the blond haired boy who was now supporting himself against the side of the bed. Naruto's gaze had somehow found itself locked onto the floor again and Jiraiya knew that it was probably because the boy was scared of what might happen if he looked into his eyes.

He released one last heavy breath before walking a bit closer to the child he was supposed to protect, but paused when he noticed the tears falling at the boy's trembling feet. This was definitely going to be hard, but he knew it had to be done no matter what difficulties stood in his way. He couldn't run away now, he couldn't abandon the boy again. The Sannin slowly cleared his voice in preparation for what he was about to say and then began to speak in as gentle a tone as he could possibly manage.

"N... Naruto... I..." The words did not come easily and Jiraiya felt his throat beginning to tighten up around him up, almost making it too difficult to even breath.

"I..." Still, no words came, instead only the painful memories of what the Hokage had told him the previous day. The words that had crushed his heart and cast his mind into doubt over the choices he had made to protect Naruto.

"I... I'm sorry..."

The boy flinched as Jiraiya said the words that had been sitting at the back of his mind for so many years. The pain that began to wash over him was quickly becoming overwhelming and the deep inner feelings of abandonment became that much more prominent. After that, the rest of the words came easily for Jiraiya and he found his heart slowly pouring itself out with all its guilt and sorrow.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone, I'm sorry for allowing you to get hurt so badly, I'm sorry for everything..." Naruto didn't even respond, mostly because he was to afraid that his voice had already left him. Instead he just stood there silently, waiting for the storm to pass and for his tears to finally end. Jiraiya noticed his silence and continued to speak the words that ate away at his soul, pouring his heart out in an attempt to gain any condolence and forgiveness from both the boy in front of him and from his own aching, guilt ridden heart.

"Please know that I never wanted to abandon you, I never wanted to leave you alone. I just didn't think I had any other choice. About a year after the Kyuubi was sealed inside of you, I started receiving disturbing information on an organization that was might have been trying to hunt you down, an organization that one of my old team mates had joined himself. I left because it was the only way to gain the information I needed to track them down before they found you. I left because I thought I was protecting you, but now I see how terribly mistaken I was."

The Sannin took a moment after his explanation to wait for the boy's response while repressing his own urge to break apart on the spot. As strong as he was as a Sannin, the weakness he felt right now was almost debilitating. Naruto felt his own heart tensing inside his chest and his face contorted with the emotions he felt inside.

"I was... all alone..."

Jiraiya raised his eyes to look at the boy as he spoke in a near whisper and noticed Naruto's hands trembling violently at his sides.

"I had no-one to... love me..."

The pain in Naruto's voice was almost heart breaking, but Jiraiya knew he had every reason to feel that way. He had been hurt severely throughout his entire life and the one person who should have been there to protect him had instead abandoned him to an unimaginable torture.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I was just trying to protect you..."

**"Protect me!?!???!"** Naruto suddenly shouted, almost causing Jiraiya to jump. The boy released his grip on the bed that supported him and stepped up to the older man with a stumble. He slammed both of his hands against the Sannin's chest and proceeded to pummel away his frustrations.

"I didn't need you to protect me!!! I just...." The tears that streamed down Naruto's face fell more briskly and his voice began to grow weaker by the second, threatening to disappear altogether at any moment.

"...I just needed you to be there for me... I just needed you.... I just needed you to.... love me..." Naruto's frustrated assault against Jiraiya's chest slowly began to die down and soon the boy's hands were holding tightly onto the Sannin's vest, squeezing them with all the frustration and anger... and grief that he felt inside, while supporting his weakened body from collapsing onto the floor. Jiraiya just stood the quietly, never once retaliating against the boy for a reaction he knew was only deserving of what he felt inside.

"That's all I ever wanted... I just wanted to be loved... that's all I wanted.... that's all..." Naruto's voice slowly became softer and more worn, almost to the point where it could no longer be heard.

"I didn't want to be alone... I just wanted someone else to be there for me, but no-one ever wanted me... not even...." The boy allowed a moment for a heavy sob and Jiraiya felt his emotions begin to flare even more.

"...Not even my own... mom and dad wanted me..." After that only tears followed, tears that had been held dormant for many years, waiting for the right moment to fall.

Jiraiya did the only thing he could think of and slowly moved his arms around the small body that was holding on to him for dear life. He began to squeeze gently, pulling Naruto even closer to his embrace while allowing the boy's tears to fall against his clothes. This was all that was needed right now, he just needed to give Naruto the time to let it all out, to release all the pain he felt inside and allow it to flow away with his tears. After a few minutes had passed, Naruto's sobs began to lessen and his body began to relax a bit. Jiraiya noticed the change in his emotions and slowly released his hold on Naruto's body, allowing the boy a moment to wipe away the tears that smothered his face. After a few more moments of silence passed, only broken by momentary sobs on Naruto's part, The boy eventually found the strength to speak again.

"My mom and my dad, they really hated me didn't they? That's why they left me... that's why they abandoned me..." Jiraiya quickly knelt down in front of the boy and locked his eyes in his own gaze.

"No Naruto, they didn't hate you. They loved you more than you could ever imagine. That's why they fought to protect you. They died so that they could give you the chance to live, that was the price of there love for you and they were gladly willing to accept it if it meant they could give you the chance to be happy."

Naruto felt his heart welling up inside, unable to discern whether or not this was just another lie to make him fell happy inside, but when he looked into Jiraiya's eyes he knew that the man was speaking the truth. His lips began to quiver, as if to try and speak, but his voice now failed him completely. Jiraiya just put his arms around his godson once more and pulled him into another hug, only this time Naruto didn't try to run away or stare blankly at the floor. This time he allowed the contact and the warm feelings that came with it.

"I'm so sorry Naruto, I should have been there for you, I should have protected you and loved you. Please give me one more chance, please give me the opportunity to make it up to you. I won't let you down again, I swear on my life."

Naruto pulled out of the hug again and stared back into Jiraiya's eyes. He could see the truth in them, he could see the… sincerity. There was a brief moment of silence before he finally nodded his head, allowing himself, just one last time, to give the Sannin the chance to be forgiven and to give his own heart the chance to forgive and trust again. The old man could no longer fight back the tears that stung in his own eyes, especially after receiving the only gift he wanted form Naruto... the opportunity to make things right again, the chance for his own heart to forgive himself for his wrong doings. The old man stood up to his feet again and placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders, gently squeezing them in reassurance.

"Thanks Naruto... I promise I wont let you down... not any more... I swear..."

After that, the only thing that remained was the gentle understanding of a wounded soul and the promise of hope that was allowed the chance to reignite in the heart of an old man, who had almost lost the most important person left in his life worth caring for. Now he would take that hope and allow it to blossom into something more than it was.

"Come on kid... lets go see your dad. I'm sure he's worried sick about you by now..."

--

Whew! That was a toughy! I'm sorry if that chapter was a bit too emotional, but it had to be done!!! :'(  
I'm also sorry if I left things in the air, but I assure you, there will be a lot happening over the next few chapters that will definitely keep things interesting.  
I hope you all enjoyed this one! **Have a happy new year!!! I'll see you all in 2009!!!** **XD**


	23. Chapter 23 Angels and Demons

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 23 - Angels and Demons**

The shuffling of busy feet echoed throughout the white confines of the hospital hallways as an anguished soul slowly paces back and forth, listening, waiting, for any signs of the young boy that had grown close to his heart. Iruka was now becoming very nervous, especially after hearing what sounded like shouts coming from inside the room, knowing that the anguished voice he heard definitely belonged to Naruto. After that, there was only the subtle sounds of gentle sobs and a few scant words that he could barely make out. Iruka was about to walk into the room, wondering if it had really been a good idea to allow this meeting, when a gentle hand fell on his shoulder. The young chunin turned to see who it was, only to be met by Kurenai's concerned expression.

"Don't Iruka... I know this hurts and I know it's painful to hear Naruto like that, but it has to be done for better or for worse. You know as well as I do that this was bound to happen sooner or later."

Iruka just let out a deep sigh and then looked around to the other faces waiting in the hallway, both of whom didn't seem to be faring much better than he was. Anko's fists were clenched tightly at her sides and her face was filled with a deep frustration, but one that failed to hide the obvious pain she felt inside. Even Kakashi, whose emotions were normally unreadable to most who didn't know him, bore an expression of complete discomfort and helplessness. He wasn't even reading his novel to pass the time, instead opting to stare blankly at the ground. It was obvious to the chunin, just how much they all cared for his son.

"I... know Kurenai... it's just that... it's so hard... to see him suffer all the time. I'm tired of seeing him get hurt.... I'm tired of watching him cry because of the hateful consequences of something he had no control over... I'm tired of the way the village treats him and the doubts they fill his mind with. I'm his father now, I shouldn't let these things happen to him. I should be ensuring his happiness." Kurenai began to squeeze Iruka's shoulder in order to offer what little comfort she could give, as well as to ease some of his growing tension.

"Iruka, none of this is your fault, you've done the best you can for him. You took on a responsibility that should have never been expected of you, but somehow you've still managed to pull through despite the odds. I've never seen Naruto happier than when he is when he's with you and if it wasn't for your love for him, it would have probably already been to late to save him. He would most likely be dead by now, or mentally scarred beyond any hope of recovery if it wasn't for what you've done for him." Iruka took some condolence in the kind words that were offered to him and let out a deep sigh.

"You guys were a great help as well. If it wasn't for your training to help him get stronger, Naruto and I would have both been killed yesterday. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me and my son."

After that, only silence followed, but there were no more words to offer from anyone. None of them deeded the thanks or appreciation, just seeing Naruto happy was all the reward they would ever need. To see the way his face was glowing just two days before, to see his smile reflect the afternoon sunshine and his laughter fill the air with it's promise of genuine happiness, that was all they needed. He had come so far in three months, he had healed so much, but now it almost seemed as though it had all just been taken away from him again.

All of his hard work, all of the healing his soul went through, it was now hanging on by a small thread, threatening to fall away at a moments notice. It just wasn't right, it just wasn't fair and the only thing that one could ask, the only question that came to all of their minds was... why? Why did he have to struggle so much and work so hard just to find any small ounce of happiness and recognition he could acquire, only to have it taken away from him again? It shouldn't be so hard for a ten year old boy to be loved, but for Naruto, what little love he received only came in small, fragile doses from the village he called home and even that love was now being threatened by an cruel darkness.

After a few more minutes had passed, the door to Naruto's room finally began to creek open, causing everyone's attention to immediately shift towards the entrance. Iruka watched with a tightening heart as Jiraiya slowly walked out of the room with Naruto under his arm, both having what can only be described as pained looks on their faces while holding in them the stained remains of previously shed tears. Naruto's face began to tense as soon as he caught sight of his father and he could no longer contain the feelings he held inside. Iruka noticed his expression and quickly knelt down to the boy's height, offering his arms as a haven for his son.

"D...dad..." Naruto quickly removed himself from Jiraiya's side and stumbled into Iruka's arms, allowing his father to hold him in a warm embrace while returning the hug as best he could without causing any more pain to his injuries. Iruka was careful not to cause any discomfort as he held his son tightly while he searched for any emotions that would tell him what had happened.

To his surprise, Iruka didn't feel pain, sadness or even regret. Instead he felt a sudden sense of relief coming from Naruto's touch, almost as though a great burden had been lifted from his soul. The young boy couldn't help but shudder in the grasp of his father, while trying to hold back his shivers caused by the warmth of Iruka's touch against his otherwise exposed body.

"I'm alright now dad... I'm okay..." Iruka couldn't help but notice Naruto's trembling as he spoke and quickly pulled out of the hug that they shared. It was then that he noticed that the boy was still walking around barefoot and didn't have a shirt on, with only his bandages offering any protecting against the cool hospital air.

"Hey kiddo, I think we should get you changed into something warmer, otherwise you're gonna catch a cold standing here like that." Naruto just allowed a brief smile and nodded his head briskly, comforted by the care that was being offered to him. Anko and Kurenai couldn't help but giggle at the way he responded so innocently, although it was also to relieve their own nerves as well.

"I'll take him to the change rooms." Kurenai voiced out calmly. "Besides, I think you and Jiraiya will want to talk about what happened." Iruka nodded his head in approval and watched as Kurenai took Naruto's hand, ensuring that he was still walking safely without falling. She then lead him down the hallway, while avoiding any close contact with the staff or other patients that made their way past them.

"I'll... go with them as well..." Anko stammered uncharacteristically, while picking herself off the wall that she was leaning against. When she noticed the curious stares coming from everyone around her, she just shrugged her shoulders sheepishly while fighting the blush that tried to appear on her face.

"Well.. someone has to put these people in their place if they give him any trouble and I'm obviously the best person for the job!!!" Iruka couldn't help but smile as the otherwise seemingly psychotic jounin quickly rushed after the boy that had softened her heart. He knew it was only an excuse to be with him, but he didn't mind at all. In fact, it was heartwarming that others cared for him so much. Once they were out of view, the scarred chunin looked over to Jiraiya, whose eyes were also fixed on the place where they had just disappeared from sight, while Kakashi listened in with a keen interest.

"So, how did it go? Judging by the way you two walked out of that room, I'm assuming that you've made at least some sort of progress." Jiraiya was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the question and he quickly turned his attention to Iruka.

"I guess it went as well as I could have hoped. Although he still seems to hold some feelings of fear and uneasiness towards me, he's given me the chance to prove myself to him and make up for what I've done." Jiraiya then allowed a smile to grace his features, a smile that crinkled his face and brought out his age that much more. "It was all that I could have asked for and more. I only hope that I can mend the damage I've done, but I promise you this, I will not let him down again like I have before."

Iruka nodded his head quietly and then looked down the hallway once more, searching for nothing in particular., but still silently hoping to see the smiling face of his son.

"I... hope so too. He needs all the help he can get right now and if he accepts you into his life, then I will accept you as well. Besides..." Iruka then turned his gaze back to the toad sannin, who was by now in a state of shock at how easily the chunin had managed to forgive him, but Jiraiya knew that he was no doubt doing it just for the sake of Naruto.

"...Besides... it wouldn't hurt to have one of the legendary sannin looking out for his safety, especially after what's happened recently." Jiraiya nodded his head and released a massive breath he didn't know he had been holding for some time now, while Kakahsi watched on with a growing smile hidden underneath his mask. Maybe, just maybe things would start getting better after all.

--

After getting cleaned up and putting on a fresh change of clothes, Naruto and company were now making there way out of the hospital. The blond still had bandages around his ribs hiding under his shirt, although they had now been changed for cleaning purposes, and he was still in some pain which was made clearly evident in the way he walked, but Anko and Kurenai made his trip down the hallway as comfortable as possible while offering their protection from the others around him. Now they were all waiting, not so patiently, in the reception area, trying to get Naruto booked out so they could finally leave the dreary confines of the hospital.

Naruto watched on from a nearby seat as Iruka and Jiraiya stood at the reception desk, trying to negotiate a quicker release, while Kurenai and Anko talked to one another nearby. The young boy was now becoming anxious, half because of being here for so long and half because of the stares he was getting from the others waiting in the room. Of course, none of them would dare to act against him right now, especially after witnessing Anko's fury only a few moments before, but it didn't make the cold eyes any easier for him to bear.

And so Naruto's eyes finally found themselves on the ground again, trying to avoid the hateful stares that bored into him like hot knives cutting through his heart. Of course, if he 'stared' back, there was no telling what might happen to them, but Naruto never did, much to their own luck. After a few minutes had passed, the young blond suddenly felt his heart begin to tense in his chest, almost as if being pulled by some unknown force into the distance. Naruto quickly looked around the room to see what may have caused this new strange feeling, but found nothing other than the cold eyes of his persecutors.

"I guess... I must be imagining things..." He mumbled to himself, while trying to shake of the tension building up inside of him. It was then that he felt himself tensing up again, only this time there was something else that came with it as well. He felt... pain, but this pain was not his own. This pain belonged to someone else and Naruto knew that it was coming from nearby.

The young boy rose to his feet, almost instinctively, and made his way out of the room, unnoticed by any of his protectors as he left. Naruto found his legs carrying him down the hallways of the hospitals, almost acting on their own accord, while drawing him closer to the source of the agony he felt. He didn't know why, but he felt like someone desperately needed him and he had to help in any way he could. After wondering for a few minutes, he finally found himself coming around another corner, only to hear the anguished words of a lost hope echoing across the empty hospital walls. Naruto quickly stopped in his tracks and decided to eaves drop on the conversation while remaining out of sight.

"... what do you mean she won't make it? I thought she was going to be fine... you said my baby would be fine!!" Naruto peered around the corner, only to see a young woman that looked to be in her late twenties standing face to face with one of the medical officials. He couldn't help but notice the grim expression on the man's face and the words that followed only reinforced his suspicions.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we've done everything we could. Unfortunately, the cancer has spread much farther than we had originally anticipated and has now covered a lot of her internal tissue. If we try to break it down any more, we risk destroying the muscle fibres and might even end up damaging the nearby organs. It's simply spread too far to control now, not even Tsuande herself would be able to help. The only thing left to do is to try to make her as comfortable as possible for the time she has left. You should try to spend as much time with your daughter as you can."

Naruto noticed the tears streaming down the woman's face as she covered her mouth to hold back the anguished scream she would have no doubt released otherwise.

"H... how long... does she have... left...?" The doctor simply bowed his head in defeat.

"About... two weeks... a month at the most, but even I don't know what could happen now. She may not even have that long..."

The woman's legs immediately gave way underneath her as she fell towards the floor, before being caught in the arms of the nearby medical staff. Naruto watched as they slowly moved her over to a nearby seat and tried to calm her down as best they could. He then looked over to the doors at the other end of the hallway, the same doors that he knew held behind them the source of the pain he had felt earlier. The young boy channeled some chakra into his feet, just as Anko had taught him during their stealth training, and quietly snuck across the hallway, not making a single sound as he did so.

After reaching the doors, he slowly opened them without a single creek and stepped inside. After carefully closing the entrance behind him without so much as a click, Naruto looked back into the room, only to see a single bed holding a small figure atop its surface.

"So, this is who I felt? Is this the person who's in so much pain?" Naruto slowly walked up to the side of the bed and looked down a the sleeping figure that lay in front of him, barely being tall enough to see over the covers that wrapped around her.

It was a small girl, no older than six years old as far as he could tell. She had the most enrapturing light reddish-brown hair and her face was finely featured into what could only be described as a small beauty. The only thing that marred her otherwise beautiful appearance was her sickeningly pale white skin and the dark bags under her eyes. Naruto tried to restrain the sudden gulp that instinctively appeared in his throat as well as the agony he felt inside of his heart. It wasn't right, to see such a young child look like this, it just wasn't fair. Why is it always the youngest of souls that must suffer the cruelty of the world?

Naruto took a deep breath and activated his Tenraigan while searching over the small, motionless body that occupied the bed. What he saw almost brought him to tears, but he still managed to hold them back despite himself. The colours... they were all wrong. They didn't look beautiful, like the shimmering hews he had come to expect when looking at the world around him, but instead appeared very off. They looked sickening and unnatural and they were so faint that it was actually hard to see them at all. Naruto began to quiver as he stood their gazing at the horrid sight before him. He was so lost in thought, that he didn't even notice the two small eyes that had now opened to stare back up at him. Only the small gentle voice that called out to him snapped him out of his trance.

"Your eyes.... they're so pretty..." Naruto almost jumped out of his skin as he heard the weakness in the girls voice, but he quickly brought his emotions under control as she continued in a near whisper.

"My name... is Harumi. I saw you... in my dreams. Are... are you an angel? Have you come... to make me better?"

Naruto choked up as he heard those words and the girl noticed him visibly flinch. To be called an angel, when everyone else called him a demon, was something that the young boy had never expected to hear in his entire life, but the genuine look of acceptance in the girls eyes had now locked him in an unexpected trance. They had the most exotic turquoise colour, almost an light sea green, but that wasn't what was most beautiful about them. Her eyes were different from the others, they didn't look at him with hatred or disgust, but instead held within them the warmth and love of an innocent soul, one still untainted by the overwhelming influence of the hatred and cruelty of those around her. They also held hope inside them, the hope of the miracle that would save her life.

Naruto started to feel the soft gentle caress of tears stinging at the corners of his eyes and felt his heart begin to warm as a sudden realization dawned in his soul. He was finally beginning to understand, he finally knew what he had to do. The memories of the kind words that had been offered to him by Kitoryouka began to flow through his mind.

**_"The people of my country called the golden eyes that signified our heritage the 'Tenraigan', hailing it as a gift from the heavens sent to help guide them through the darkness." _**

**_"Your touch allows you to link with their physical bodies. When this happens, your life force will flow freely into them along with all of your emotions felt at the time. It will grant you the power to help those around you..." _**

**_"You were chosen to receive this gift because you are the only one who can hold its power now. You are the last of our ancient bloodline and the only hope for its future. There is no one single person on this earth who is more worthy of the Tenraigan's power than the kind and caring soul you are." _**

**_"Your eyes.... they're so pretty. Are... are you an angel? Have you come... to make me better?"_**

Naruto looked back down to the hopeful eyes that stared back at him and allowed a smile to creep onto his face, causing the girl in front of him to light up with an unknown beauty that he had never seen before and one that his own eyes only made that much more beautiful to witness as her soul reignited with hope.

"Yeah... I'm here to help you..." Naruto then took the little girls hand into his own and squeezed it gently before placing his other hand over it with all the love and warmth he could muster. He didn't know why, but he wasn't afraid to touch her at all. Somehow, he knew she would never do anything to hurt him.

"I'll... make everything better... I promise..."

After that, he began to feel the life inside of him slowly drain away and his body began to weaken in the efforts to save another precious young life. His skin began to grow pale and his hands became cold to the touch, but the reassuring smile never left his face as they looked back into the small eyes that shared in his gaze and the knowing smile that warmed his heart.

"I'll make... everything... better..."

--

As the tall wooden doors slowly began to creek open, Naruto stumbled out precariously into the hallway, barely able to keep himself up on his own two feet any longer. The young boy slowly closed the door behind him, while holding onto its handle in order to support his body from collapsing on the spot.

"I need... to get back to... the others, or else..." Before Naruto could even finish his train of thoughts, a sudden shriek echoed throughout the hallway, immediately catching his attention.

**"YOU!!!"**

Naruto quickly turned around while releasing his grip on the door, only to see the same woman that had been crying earlier making her way towards him with a hateful expression etched deeply onto her face.

"You monster!!!! What were you doing to my baby!?!?!?!" Before Naruto could even respond, the woman raised her hand above her head and brought it down with all the force and hatred she could muster, striking the boy across his face and almost causing him to fall over in his exhaustion.

"Nggghhhh!!!!"

Naruto audibly winced as he felt the pain erupting in the side of his cheek while he stumbled to regain his balance, but that wasn't what hurt the most as he received the blow. It was those eyes, that voice, the.... hatred he saw and felt in them both despite all of his efforts to try and make things better. Naruto slowly pulled himself upright again, trying to use all the strength he could to keep himself from collapsing onto the ground. He knew that if he fell down now, he would receive no mercy as he was beaten to a pulp on the cold hard hospital floor.

At least, while he was standing, he stood a chance to be left alone, but any hope of that quickly faded away when Naruto noticed the other hospital staff in the area making their way towards him. He knew right then that things were about to get a lot worse for him, especially now without anyone to look out for him in his weakened state. He was too weak to even stand properly, let alone defend himself, and he knew that if he tried to run away now, he would only collapse to the floor from eshaustion before he even made it around the corner. Besides, running away only ever seemed to make the beatings that much worse when he was eventually caught. The woman in front of him just seethed even more as he continued to stand there in what she perceived to be as arrogant defiance, taking it as an insult to herself and the others around her.

"How could you just stand there like you've done nothing wrong?!?! Don't you have anything to say for yourself DEMON?!?!" Naruto just looked up to her with pain filled eyes, hoping... praying that she would see the truth in them, to see that he was just trying to make things better.

"Please... I... I was only... trying to help. I didn't do anything wrong... I swear..."

The woman just ignored Naruto's pleas of innocence and raised her hand to strike once more while the rest of the hospital staff and even some of the other patients closed in around him. The boy just closed his eyes and prepared himself for what was about to happen, after all it wasn't like this was the first time he was blamed for something he didn't even do. He only hoped that they wouldn't go too far in punishing him. He bravely tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks while his body began to tense instinctively, knowing exactly what was about to occur.

"We'll show you not to come here again!"

Naruto waited in the silence that followed for the inevitable beating that was to come, but nothing happened. He suddenly heard a couple of gasps fill the air around him and carefully opened his eyes again, only to notice that the people that were around him were now slowly backing away from his position. When he looked up in front of him, the woman that was about to strike was now held firmly around the wrist by the one who had come to his aid, still floating above her head in a striking position.

"You guys have made a **_VERY_** big mistake!!!" Naruto immediately recognized the voice and looked behind the woman to see a very, **_VERY_** pissed off Anko standing behind her.

"Anko-sensei..." He gulped as a sudden relief washed over him.

To say that Anko was just pissed was the biggest understatement of the century and the look in her eyes promised death to everyone in the hallway. Not just any kind of death mind you, but rather the most painful and agonizing kind of death one could ever dare to dream of suffering. They would beg to be sent to Ibiki's for a life of torture just to save themselves from experiencing that kind of nightmare. Anko looked down at the young boy that had called out to her and allowed her eyes to soften just for him, if only to ease his tension.

"Everything will be alright Naruto, I'm here now." The jounin's voice was filled with an unimaginable amount of anger and hatred to those around her and yet still managed to be comforting to Naruto at the same time.

Anko's attention quickly shifted to those in the room around her and the amount of killing intent radiating off of her was enough to be felt throughout the entire hospital. Naruto noticed her grip around his attacker's arms tighten even more, causing the woman to wince in pain as her wrist was slowly crushed underneath the jounin's grasp.

"**_You cowards!!!_** how can you even dare to call yourselves doctors and nurses!?!?! You're a disgrace to Konoha and to human kind. It sickens me to just look at you, you're no better than beasts!!!!! I should just kill you all right here!!!!!!!!!!" Her gaze then shifted back to the woman in her grasp, while her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"And you!!!! How dare you hit Naruto-kun like that!!!!! You'll be the first to die by my hands!!!!" Just as Anko was about to act, she felt a small hand grab at her arm, causing her to look down at its owner. Naruto was looking back up at her with a heavy frown as he slowly shook his head from side to side.

"Don't do it Anko-sensei... please... you'll be no better than they are if you do this. You're not a monster..." Anko felt her heart begin to tense even more while her anger built up to unbelievable levels.

How could he ask her to just let them off the hook after seeing what they did to him... what they were going to do to him? How could he be so kind and forgiving even when everyone treated him so cruelly? Anko's face began to scrunch up in frustration as her mind pleaded for her to make them suffer, begging her to make them pay for the way they made Naruto suffer as well, but as much as she wanted to end their lives right there, she could not bring herself to ignore the boy's request. After releasing a very heavy sigh she reluctantly let go of her prey and watched as the woman took a step back in fear. Naruto never let go of her arm and just continued to keep her close to his side, as if to restrain her from attacking.

"Consider yourselves lucky..." She growled, just loud enough for all of them to hear. "This boy just saved all of your lives. I hope you remember that before you try to hurt him again..." the jounin's voice seemed to trail off at the end, but everyone heard what she said loud and clear. Naruto just put his arms around his saviour, causing Anko to relax in the warm emotions coming from his touch. She then looked down at the young boy holding onto her and rubbed the top of his head soothingly.

"Alright kid, lets get going..." The jounin then placed her arms on Naruto's back, noticing how cold he was to the touch. _'What were you doing in there?'_ She thought quietly to herself. Anko quickly shook her head of her thoughts and began to walk down the hallway once more, leading Naruto out of the hospital grounds in the safety of her arms. Everyone stayed clear away from them as they shuffled passed the crowed that had gathered, none of them even daring to get in their way. As soon as the two of them were out of sight, the woman that had attacked Naruto quickly turned back to the room in which her daughter resided.

"My baby!!!" She quickly ran up to the doors and flung them open, checking to see what the _'monster'_ had tried to do to her daughter, but her face fell into shock and confusion when she saw a little girl bouncing happily on top of the bed, holding a teddy in her hands that she had been given as a gift.

"H... Harumi...? How...?" The girl responded to her name by looking over to the doorway with a brilliant smile on her face. Her cheeks were now a rosy red in colour and her eyes no longer contained the dark bags that had tarnished her face. She just looked so... alive...

"Mom!!! Look mom, I'm all better now!!!" She blurted happily, while slapping on the biggest grin she could possibly muster. The said woman just held her hand up to her mouth in disbelief as tears began to stream down her face ,wondering how such a miracle could have possibly happened. The doctor that had spoken to her earlier quickly rushed into the room when he heard the commotion, only to drop the files in his hand at the sight that met his eyes.

"It's not... possible! She shouldn't even be able to move..." the doctor quickly ran over to the bouncy girl and began to scan over her system with glowing hands, checking for any differences in her condition. After a few moments, he stopped his examination and took a wavering step backwards, his body threatening to collapse from shock.

"It... can't be!!! There's... nothing left. It's like she was never sick to begin with. There's just no medical jutsu on this earth that I know of that's capable of this...." At the sound of these words, the girls mother came out of her state of shock, realizing that this wasn't just a dream, and walked over to her daughter's side. She slowly ran her fingers through Harumi's hair, trying to reassure herself that this was in fact her daughter and not just some cruel trick meant to torment her.

"Harumi... my baby... how did this happen?" The little girl just perked up and flashed another warm smile, one that brought a sudden comfort to her mother's heart as she saw it.

"An angle came to visit me mom. He was just a kid like me, like a... little angel. He was so nice and kind and he made everything better." As she heard those words, Harumi's mother suddenly tensed up as shocking realization hit her with a numbing blow. She quickly turned on her heels and ran over to the doorway to look outside, searching the long hallways for the one her daughter had described, only to find them already empty and devoid of any presence.

"An... angel...?"

--

Naruto and Anko were now nearing the entrance to the hospital and back to the others waiting outside. She couldn't help but notice the slow pace that the boy beside her was keeping and she also noticed that he was hanging onto her coat for dear life, almost as though he would fall over if not for the support it offered. Add to that the fact that his face was extremely pale and you have one very concerned jounin on your hands. A very pissed off, concerned jounin that is. She was even more concerned about the damage that had been done to him just a few moments before and found herself cursing the idiots that tried to hurt him. Anko was just about ready to repaint the hospital walls red and had no doubt she would have done so if it wasn't for the kindness offered by a certain blond.

Anko slowly ran her hand over the said boy's back, trying to search for any emotions that would tell her what he was thinking at the time, but what she felt was somewhat unexpected. There was definitely fear and rejection, that much was expected, but what really surprised her the most was that he felt unusually at ease as well. It was almost as if Naruto had found an inner comfort that was holding his soul together and giving it a newfound strength and she now found herself wondering what exactly had happened a few moments before she had arrived to see him on the verge of being beaten. As the two made there way down the hallway, Anko could no longer hold back the question that was eating away at the back of her mind.

"Naruto...?" The said boy just looked up in surprise, noting that she used his proper name this time and not the other titles she would normally refer to him with.

"... why do you do it? Why are you so kind and forgiving, even to those that hurt you all the time? Why did you stop me from acting back there?" Naruto looked down to the floor again as he tried to think of his answer, an answer not even he himself was sure of.

"I... don't know. I guess... I just want them to see me..." Anko's brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to understand what the boy was saying, but didn't interrupt him as he continued.

"I just want them to recognise me, to see me for who I really am and not just as the Kyuubi. That's all I really ever wanted, just to be appreciated for who I am, but even when I try to do something good they always only ever see me as nothing but a monster." Naruto's voice became even heavier as he carried on, something that Anko noticed with a saddened heart.

"I... try my best to be nice... to help... I really do... but they won't even look at me... they just can't see _me_..." At this, Anko quickly squeezed Naruto even tighter in her arms, making sure that he easily felt the warmth she was trying to give him.

"I can see you..." Naruto flinched slightly as he heard this and Anko felt his heart jump in his chest, causing her to ruff his hair in a gentle display of affection, or at least it was gentle coming from her anyway. "... even if you're just a little brat." The small pout she got after that was enough to make her heart melt inside, even though it was just a playful response.

"You know, you've really helped _me_ a lot. You've shown me what is really important in life and what is worth fighting for. If it means anything to you, I just want you to know that _I_ really do appreciate who _you _are and I wouldn't want you to change for the world." Naruto just smiled warmly at the words of appreciation that fell on his ears as well as the genuine feelings he felt at the time.

"Thanks Anko-sensei..." Anko just grinned back at him, before poking the top of his head.

"Well kiddo, it's only the truth, but I'm not really your sensei anymore, so I'm not sure if you should really call me that." Naruto paused to think about what she said for a moment and the looked back up to her again, with a new smile appearing on his face.

"Then... how about Anko-neesan? Is that alright?" Naruto's eyes had a hopeful glint in them as he nervously voiced his question and Anko almost jumped when she heard his words, but she still couldn't help the heartwarming smile that appeared on her face. The fact that Naruto saw her as a big sister filled her heart with an unknown joy.

"S... sure thing brat. That sounds good to me..." Naruto inwardly cheered for joy when he heard the answer he was hoping for.

He then leaned his head on her side and tried to bask in the heat emanating off of her body, trying to restore some of the warmth he lost just a few moments before. Anko allowed the close contact despite the discomfort it made her feel and gently rubbed his upper arms in order to assist him in any way she could.

_'You're just to good for this world Naruto. You're too kind and caring and they really don't deserve you.'_

After making their way past the reception and past the newly formed entrance, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head at the scene of destruction that met his eyes as they passed through the front door. There was only one thing that came to mind as he saw the looks one the receptionists face as they walked past her view.

"Anko-neesan, have you been buying explosive tags again?" Anko just feigned innocence while trying to stifle a cough.

"I... don't know what you're talking about brat." Naruto just sighed, having already received his answer just by the way she felt, but deep inside he was giggling at the humor of what he had seen.

_'Well, that's Anko-neesan for you...' _

After they exited the hospital grounds, Naruto caught sight of the others waiting outside the gates as well as the releaved look on his father's face as he noticed them approaching.

"Oh thank Kami you're alright! You shouldn't go wandering off like that you know! You really had us all worried!" Naruto just scratched the back of his head sheepishly while grinning apologetically.

"Sorry dad, there was just something really important that I needed to do..."

Iruka cocked his head curiously to the side, wondering what was so important that Naruto felt the need to put himself in harms way to do it, but before his thoughts could wander, he noticed the pail expression on his son's face as well as the fact that Naruto was busy supporting himself by holding onto Anko's coat.

"Hey, what happened kiddo? You look like you've just been through hell and back again." Before the boy could even answer, Naruto found his vision beginning to swim and his legs begin to give away.

"Dad... I think I'm gonna..." The boy's words only became slurs as he fell into unconsciousness and his limp form made its way to the earth. Iruka reacted quickly and caught him just in time to stop his body from hitting the floor.

"Naruto!?!" The chunin quickly lifted Naruto up into his arms and looked over his body, noting that he was once again cold to the touch. "What the hell was he doing back there?" He murmured angrily. Anko just shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. When I found him he was... a little worse for wear. I think he may have been trying to heal someone back in the hospital but I'm not exactly sure what happened." Jiraiya walked up to where they were standing and took a brief look over Naruto's body.

"Maybe we should take him back to the hospital to let him rest for a little while longer. It doesn't look like he's quite ready to leave yet." Anko just shook her head dissaprovingly, gaining everyone's attention as she did so.

"No, that isn't a good idea right now. It's too dangerous to send him back in there, especially after what's just happened. I think you should take him home and just let him rest in bed for a while." Iruka looked at the purple haired jounin with a questioning stare.

"What did they do to him this time?"

"Oh, they didn't do much, they never really got the chance. I'm actually more worried about what would happen to _them_ if _I_ went back in there. I'm just not sure I'll be able to keep myself from simply killing all of them any more." Everyone just sweat dropped as the images of Anko going postal on the hospital staff filled their minds. The scariest thing of all was that none of them even had the slightest difficulty imagining it. After that was said and done, it was unanimously decided (without much consideration) to take Naruto home.

Kurenai, Kakashi and Anko waved them off as they arrived at Iruka's house, before heading off back to their own homes for some much needed rest after a particularly long and eventful day. Only Jiraiya remained behind. Both he and Iruka entered the house and moved Naruto into his bedroom. The chunin carefully removed his son's sandals off of his feet and lay him down on the soft warm surface, while Jiraiya checked his vitals for any possible problems. Although he was no medic by any means, the years spent around the greatest med-nin in the world still rubbed off on him and he knew enough to be of some assistance. Iruka watched as the older man carefully examined Naruto's body, searching for any signs of trauma or injury. After a few moments of waiting, the sannin eventually stood up to his feet with a relieved expression.

"I think he'll be alright, he's just warn himself out. I think we should just let him sleep it off and then check back on him in the morning. I would still like to examine him a bit more, that is if you don't mind." The chunin gave a sigh of relief after hearing Naruto's condition and then nodded his head in approval.

"I'll go make us some tea. When you're done, come into the living room and we can talk." After that, Iruka left the toad sage to his devices and went to boil the kettle for their drinks. After pouring both of them a cup of tea, he made his way to the living room and sat down on the nearby sofa, releasing an anguished breath as he did.

"Why must things be so hard all the time? Why can't everything just be a little bit easier for us?" The chunin quickly snapped himself out of his negative thoughts, instead trying to focus on what was important. At least they were both still alive, there was that much to be grateful for if not anything else. Only now Iruka found himself with another problem on his plate and he was now wondering if going on the survival training trip was such a good idea. It was already Saturday evening and they would be leaving the very next Monday. It didn't leave much time for Naruto to recover from his injuries, not to mention any psychological trauma he still had, and there was also the added danger presented with leaving the village walls.

"I'll have to ask Naruto tomorrow if he's up to it, although with his injuries, I suspect we may have to pull him out all together."

"That may not necessarily be the case." Iruka turned around to follow the voice that called out to him, noticing as Jiraiya entered the room.

"What do you mean by that?" The toad sannin took a seat opposite from Iruka and took the cup of tea that was waiting for him on the table. After taking a brief sip from the warm drink, he let out a deep sigh.

"I've noticed some... complications... with Naruto." Iruka's face fell into a look of concern as he heard those words, but Jiraiya continued with his explanation before he could ask any questions.

"You see, I decided to take some time to examine the seal on Naruto's stomach in order to make sure that it was still functioning properly, but there seems to be an interesting development that I've just now discovered. If I'm not mistaken, I think I've found some sort of physical link flowing through the seal."

"A.. link...?" Iruka gulped, wondering what this could mean for his son.

"Yes. It's barely noticeable, in fact I only stumbled on it accidentally, but it's definitely there and I suspect it has something to do with the physical side of Naruto's bloodline. You mentioned that his life force flows into a person when he touches them, am I correct?" Iruka just nodded his head.

"Yes, that's true but... wait, you don't mean..."

"That's correct." Jiraiya murmured, knowing what Iruka was going to ask. "Naruto seems to have formed a similar link to the Kyuubi as well." By now, Iruka was in a complete state of panic. Having a link formed with a powerful monster like the Kyuubi didn't sound good at all.

"But, that means he would feel the Kyuubi's emotions as well. What if..."

"Hold on there Iruka!" Jiraiya cut him off before he lost his head. "I don't think that's the case. As far as I can tell, the link is very small at the moment, in fact it's almost completely unnoticeable, so Naruto seams to be protected from the Kyuubi's emotions for now. The only way he would experience them is if he tries to draw on the Kyuubi's power, forcing the link to temporarily widen." Iruka quickly came to a calm as he heard the good news.

"That's good to hear, but the only quesion is, what effect does this link have on Naruto?" Jiraiya scratched his chin in thought as he tried to think of the words to describe what he had discovered.

"Well, I'm not sure how to put this, so I'll just say it straight. Naruto seems to feed on some of the Kyuubi's life force through this connection. I've noticed that the injuries he had this morning have healed extremely fast over the window of just a few hours. By tomorrow morning they should be gone completely and I suspect that is the result of this link. But that's not all..." The chunin listening just dropped his shoulders in disbelief, wondering what else could possibly be caused by the connection between him and the Kyuubi.

"His cells seem to regenerate at an alarming rate, which also explains the extremely high metabolism he has, but the surprising thing is that they don't seem to mutate or denature at all. They divide perfectly, with the new cells being identical to the old ones in just about every way. That's why he appears to be younger than the rest of his age group and it also explains why he doesn't have any scarring on his body despite the years he was abused in his orphanage." Iruka was still somewhat dumbfounded by what he was hearing.

"Wait just a second, you mentioned that his cells replicate perfectly, which is why he looks younger than the rest of his age group. Are you trying to tell me that his aging has slowed down because of this?" Jiraiya just nodded his head while taking another sip from his tea.

"That's right, that's exactly what I mean. Although it looks like he's developed normally for the first few years of his life, over time the effects the link has had on him have increased, causing the ageing process to slow down completely. Technically speaking, the Kyuubi is immortal, having already lived for thousands of years, which means that by drawing on his life force Naruto could possibly live far longer than any other normal human being. If the link grows any stronger than it currently is, he may very well never age at all. I'm still not sure what effect this link has on the Kyuubi itself, but I suspect it does influence it in some way or another."

Jiraiya took a moment to read Iruka's face and to make sure that the chunin was still following him closely. The shock on the man's expression was clearly visible for him to see, although the sannin could understand it completely. To find out that your son might be somewhat immortal regarding his aging is quite the news indeed. After a few moments pause, he continued to explain again.

"I suspect that there are other physical effects as well, such as the increase in his own chakra supplies, as well as his nearly unlimited stamina levels he has. I also think the whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks may be an early result of this link and, judging by how sensitive they are to any kind of touch, I'm beginning to suspect that his other senses may have been enhanced over the years as well. Unfortunately, my medical knowledge is somewhat limited to basic human anatomy and biology, and I know very little about genetics or bloodlines, so I won't be able to test him effectively myself. Now if it was the _female_ body on the other hand..."

Jiraiya just got a dangerous glare from the chunin sitting across the room, immediately warding him off of his current train of thoughts. After seeing the sannin cringe in his chair, Iruka let out a deep sigh and finished his own tea, before setting the empty cup down on the small table besides him.

"Do you know anyone that may be able to help us with this. I doubt the medical staff at the hospital would be that willing to test him and even if they were, it would only mean broadcasting the news of his bloodline for the whole of Konoha to hear about. We need someone we can trust to handle this matter secretly." Jiraiya nodded his head in understanding.

"I do know someone who would be perfect for this situation, but she is currently unavailable to us at this time, so until then well just have to watch him closely in order to find more clues as to what this all entails." After everything was said and done and a few more words were shared between them, Jiraiya finally said his good byes and went his own way, leaving just Naruto and Iruka behind. The young man went over into his son's room and sat down at the side of his bed, looking over the quietly sleeping from in front of him.

"Well, I guess that explains why you're the shortest in your class, hey kiddo?" Iruka chuckled slightly at his own joke, but then soured when he though about the possible consequences of such a curse.

He slowly ran his fingers through Naruto's blond hair and then let his hand wander to the side of the boy's face, touching gently against the whisker marks that ran across his cheeks. As his fingers gently stroked the fine lines, Naruto began to stir in the ensuing touch, mumbling something under his breath as he did.

"Just a few more minutes dad... a few more minutes..." Iruka just smiled in amusement at the strange response, but was glad to note that Naruto was, in fact, still alright.

"Wow, they really are sensitive. Now I know why Ryuukimi likes to tease him about them so much."

The chunin then removed his hand again and sat there silently as the last rays of afternoon sunlight touched against his skin, watching as the boy beside him slept almost completely at peace. Little did he know of the miracle that had taken place earlier that day or the young girl whose life had been saved by Naruto's efforts, even though the rest of the world never appreciated his gift. But as Naruto continued to dream pleasant thoughts for the first time in days his soul found within itself a new sense purpose to drive him forward, a purpose motivated by the memories of a young girl's loving and appreciative smile., one that would always hold a place in the scape of his mind.

--

That's another chapter done. I was going to have a lot more in this chapter, but it started to become too long for my liking. (Already reaching ten thousand words as it is). I'm not sure how the 'nee-san' thing works or how it follows the name exactly, so I apologize if it isn't correct. If it isn't, please let me know so I can change it. Also, I've noticed that Iruka refers to 'Kami' more than any other character in my story. He must have a lot of issues to deal with, which of course he does. :)

Anyway, the academy survival training trip will begin in the next chapter! I plan to use that time have Naruto interact with the other rookies a lot more, as well as their parents to. So you'll see some nice developemends between him and the other classmate that accompany him. There will also be some interesting surprises during that time and some new clan jutsus that our young hero learns as well. If anyone is wondering when the rest of the class will get to see some of Naruto's newly developed skills, well this is the time!!!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^ ^


	24. Chapter 24 A New journey’s Start

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey again! This chapter was a bit difficult for me to write, mostly because I had so much that I wanted to fit into it, but I think it came out alright. Please forgive me if it isn't up to standard, but I just had a lot of information to fit in that just couldn't be ignored.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 24 - A New journey's Start**

The gentle trickle of rainfall began to fall outside the window of a young boy as he slept quietly in his bed, tapping gently against the window that held in its view, the garden that surrounded their house. Naruto shuffled under the soft pattering of raindrops against the roof and pulled the blanket that covered him further up to his neck, protecting himself from the cool nighttime air that touched against his skin.

After a few more moments of trying to stay asleep, the scant flickers of lightning flashed outside, illuminating up the nighttime sky in a glorious display of power and beauty, followed by the sudden crash of thunder that followed, shaking his window and causing the young boy to open his eyes in the ensuing noise. Naruto quickly sat up in his bed and searched around his room, ensuring that he was still in the house where he felt safe and not in the cold dark confines of his orphanage.

"I'm... still safe...I'm still alright..." The young boy tried to control his breathing as he began to relax once more, his nerves slowly coming under control again.

He carefully turned his gaze to the window next to him and looked outside, watching as the storm continued to ravage the sky while the rain poured past his view. He hated nights like this, even though it had been quite some time since he had been rescued from his nightmares, but every time it rained outside, the cruel memories of his past life came rushing back to him.

He remembered the very night just before he was kicked out into the streets, the same night that it had also been raining just outside his window while he was forced to endure the icy cold with barely a blanket to keep him warm as well as the cruel beating of his warden. The very night he had first discovered his bloodline as he defended himself from the awful punishment he was forced to endure. Even though the lights that flashed throughout the sky were beautiful to witness, Naruto found himself unable to marvel at the sight that most would be enraptured by, his mind instead opting to wander back onto the nightmares of his past.

"I wonder if dad is also awake. Maybe... maybe I should go and talk to him...." Just as Naruto was about to lift the blankets off of his bed, another flash of lightning shot across the sky followed by the thunderous roar that shook him to his very core. Naruto flinched slightly in the ensuing noise and held the blanket that protected him even further up to his face, almost covering it completely.

"It's just lightning, no one's here to hurt you, you're safe..." As Naruto continued to reassure himself of his own wellbeing, a sudden crashing sound came from somewhere nearby, immediately alerting his attention.

"T... that came from inside..." Naruto quickly jumped out of his bed and ran up to the door to his room, while trying to hold back the fears eating away at his heart. He slowly opened the wooden door and peered outside, careful not to make a noise as he did. The hallways were completely dark, save for the brief flashes of light that burned the images of the walls around him into his eyes.

"No-one's there... maybe it was dad. I wonder if he's alright..."

Naruto, having made sure that the coast was clear, slowly stepped out into hallway and made his way towards his father's room, his bare feet treading carefully against the cold wooden floor in an effort to remain silent. As he came closer to his destination, something suddenly caught his eyes. Right outside the door to his Iruka's room were the trails of a dark liquid running under the doorway.

Suddenly, the boy froze in place as his heart sank into his chest, gripped in the fear and panic of what he was seeing. The colour of the liquid was barely noticeable in the failing light, but the coppery smell that filled the air was too prominent for him to ignore. Naruto knew that smell, he knew it all to well. It was the same scent that met his nose every time he was beaten by those that hated him, the same terrible scent that cursed his memories with the images of his own torturous wounds as he bled on the cold, damp floors of his orphanage. It was the smell of blood.

"No... it can't be..." Naruto's legs began to tremble violently underneath him, almost unwilling to move any closer to the doorway that entered into his father's room. He just stood there, quietly, not knowing what to do or how to act. Another sudden crash of thunder quickly brought him back to his senses and his startled awareness returned once more.

Naruto took a deep gulp of dread and then slowly made his way up to the door while carefully stepping around the dark liquid pooled on the floor. He shakily pulled the handle and clicked it open, before opening it to reveal the room inside, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to hold back the nightmares that started to play through his mind. He didn't want to look inside. His heart warned him to close his eyes, but even still his gaze followed the trail of the dark liquid to it's source, but when his eyes fell on the body of its origin, Naruto felt his stomach sicken while the greatest fears of his heart came to fruition.

"No...... dad....."

There, lying on a motionless heap on the floor in a pool of his own blood, was the lifeless form of Iruka stretched across the ground, completely devoid of any motion. Standing over him was a tall dark figure, looking down at the body at his feet while remaining completely motionless. Naruto collapsed to his knees as his eyes took in the sight of his father lying dead on the floor. He didn't need to activate his Tenraigan to know that his dad was gone, he already knew it deep inside.

The soft trickle of tears began to stream down his face as the sudden shock began to consume his soul, tearing it apart from the inside as the most precious person in his life, the only one who truly loved him unconditionally, lay dead before him.

"Dad!!!! No!... You said you wouldn't leave me... you promised me that I'd never be alone again...." The tears that fell from Naruto's face began to touch against his hands as they dug into the wooden floor beneath them, tensing in his frustration and grief. He couldn't even move, or act against the shadowy figure that stood inside the room. He didn't even have the strength to breath.

"I told you this would happen..." Naruto looked up as he heard the terrible voice, barely able to see through the tears that filled his eyes. The shadowy figure turned around to face him, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in shock and panic as a familiar face met his eyes.

"It's you... but I though you were dead..." The man known as Hizashi simply narrowed his eyes as it took in the pitiful form of the boy that knelt in front of him, snickering as he did so.

"Dead? No, I cannot die. You cannot kill your own fears. As long as your nightmares persist... as long as the darkness of your deepest fears hold onto your soul, I will always be there. I will take everything you hold dear and destroy it. Everything you love will be consumed in darkness until there is nothing left but your own sorrows."

After that, the darkened figure locked onto Naruto's gaze with hate filled eyes, holding the young boy in his wrath and anger while destroying his soul with his tormenting stare. His eyes began to glow a deep red in the darkness, while slits formed where his pupils once resided.

"It is as I have warned you. Your love for those around you will only lead to pain and suffering. It is only a matter of time before it destroys you completely."

After that, darkness began to consume everything in Naruto's sight until the only thing that was left was him and his father, surrounded by a shadowy abyss. Naruto slowly crawled up to the lifeless figure and collapsed onto the cold heap that lay beneath him, while his tears flowed into the man's clothes, carrying the pain and grief he felt inside.

"Dad... you can't die! You promised me. If you die, then... then I have nothing left. I have... nothing..." Naruto's eyes slowly began to close tightly as he wept on the body of his father. He didn't even notice it as the last thing that was important to him also disappeared into darkness while the inescapable lure of unconsciousness consumed him once more.

--

"Aaaahhhhh!!!!!!!"

Naruto suddenly shot up in is bed as his cry echoed throughout the confines of his room. The young boy quickly looked around himself to make sure of where he was, only to see the warm rays of the morning sunlight filling through his window, caressing his skin in it's promising light.

"Was... it all a dream...?"

The young boy didn't even spare a moment as he jumped off of his bed and rushed out if his room, before sprinting down the hallway to where Iruka slept. As he approached the door that he had seen in his nightmares, he was relieved to notice that there was no blood on the floor. He quickly opened the entrance to his father's room and rushed inside, only to see that it was now empty, the bed having already been made neatly against the far wall.

"He's not here. he's not..." Naruto allowed a moment for a brief sigh of relief.

There was no blood, no lifeless body lying on the floor, no dark figures with hateful eyes staring back at him. There was only an empty room devoid of any signs of the nightmare he had just witnessed. Naruto stepped back out into the hallway again and leaned against the cold wall, allowing his body a moment to relax and to allow the fears that stung at his heart to melt away.

"He's not dead... he's not dead..." As Naruto continued to repeat the words that flashed through his mind, the tears that stung at the back of the boy's eyes, threatening to fall at any moment, slowly disappeared all together as relief washed over him, his breathing slowly coming to a steady pace once more.

After a few moments of regaining his composure, the young boy stepped back off the wall and headed out into the living room, searching for any sign of the man that held a special place in his heart. It was then that he heard the faint sounds of boiling water coming from the kitchen along with the shuffling of cutlery, causing his heart to leap into his chest once more. Naruto quickly ran towards the source of the sound and almost burst into tears when he saw Iruka standing there calmly, pouring himself a cup of tea as if there was nothing wrong.

**"DAD!!!!"** Iruka almost dropped the cup in his hands as he heard the voice calling out from behind him, but quickly recovered in time to save his beverage. He set the tea down on the table and turned around, only to see Naruto rushing up to him as fast as his legs could carry him. The young boy threw his arms around his father as he leapt into a tight embrace, squeezing as tightly as he possibly could. Iruka just stood there, completely surprised by the sudden rush of emotions coming from his son.

"Dad!!!! You're alright!!!" Iruka squirmed slightly in the tight grasp of his son while he tried to figure out why Naruto was so upset.

"Hey kiddo. What's going on?" The said boy just squeezed even more tightly than before, as if hearing his father's voice had done wonders for his soul. He buried his head into the man's clothes and just stood there silently, never once daring to let go as his body began to quiver. Iruka was somewhat dumbfounded by the strange actions of his son, but decided it was best to let the boy hold on.

"I can't lose you... I just can't lose you..." The chunin was now becoming worried. He tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but found Naruto squeezing even tighter as he did so, almost as though the boy was afraid of losing his grasp. After a few more failed attempts to free himself, the man eventually gave up in his struggles and placed his hand on Naruto's head, stroking it gently in order to soothe the emotions he felt coming from his touch.

"It's alright Naruto... I'm not going anywhere. I made a promise to you, remember? I will always be here for you no matter what happens." Naruto pulled his head out of his father's stomach and looked up to meet his gaze, before nodding briskly, not daring to even whisper at this point in time.

"Alright, now why don't you go and wait in the..."

"No... wait..." Naruto cut him off, finally gaining the courage to speak. "Just let me hold on for a while... please just let me hold on for a little bit longer..." Iruka simply nodded, finding himself unable to deny the boy's request.

After receiving his consent, Naruto dug his head back into the chunin's warm body and squeezed him even more tightly, holding the man as close as humanly possible. Iruka simply responded by putting his own arms around the boy, while trying to comfort him in any way he could, even though he didn't know what was wrong. After a few more moments had passed, he noticed Naruto's breathing begin to calm down and his trembling begin to die away. He didn't even notice it before, but now it was easy to feel the difference in his emotions.

After feeling the boy give off one last deep sigh of relief, Iruka rubbed his back in a soothing manner, allowing the last remnants of tension leave his body and flow out through his touch.

"There... feel better now?" Naruto pulled out of the hug and looked up to his father again, before nodding once more, this time with a small smile appearing on his face.

"Yeah, I feel better now." Iruka just smiled back before petting the boy on his head, gaining a small giggle as he did.

"Good... now why don't you go and get cleaned up? I'll get breakfast ready in the meantime and then we can talk about whatever might be bothering you." With that, Naruto scuttled off to the bathroom to wash himself up for breakfast, while Iruka watched him disappear with a heavy sigh.

"That kid really has it rough. He's just so afraid of losing those close to him. *Sigh* How can I tell him that he may end up outliving all of his friends and family? How can I tell him that he'll be alone again someday? I just hope he's really going to be alright."

Iruka quickly brushed of the negative thoughts that began to rush through his mind and continued with his morning ritual, deciding that he would only say somthing once they knew exactly what was going on.

--

Once Naruto had stepped out of the shower, he quickly returned to his room and got dressed in a fresh set of clothes, before sitting back down on his already made bed once more. The young boy leaned his back against the large pillows the leaned up against the wall and allowed himself to relax a bit, while his nose enjoyed the teasing sensations of the food being prepared for them.

"Wow... dad really knows how to get my stomach growling."

Naruto just chuckled as he heard another grumble coming from the depths of his bottomless pit and couldn't help but grow a little impatient for the coming feast. He hadn't eaten a proper meal since he was in hospital and Iruka's cooking always had him watering at the mouth. Even now, after three months of eating a proper meal every night, the boy was still entranced by the subtle enjoyment of having warmly cooked food.

After wallowing in the warm sunlight that entered his window, the boy finally sat up again and searched around the room, wondering how to pass the time until breakfast was ready. His wandering eyes quickly came to a halt as they landed on the familiar golden scroll that lay atop his shelf, glistening in the sunlight with a majestic beauty that spoke clearly of it's noble origins.

"Maybe I should practice some new jutsu..." Naruto mumbled to himself. "Besides, I made a promise to my dad. I have to become stronger so that I can protect him!"

After reassuring himself of his resolve, Naruto quickly jumped up from his bed and grabbed his scroll, before heading out into the living room. After seating himself on one of the sofas, he opened the golden parchment and began to search inside its contents for anything that would help him grow stronger.

Of course, he had barely begun to skim the surface of the deep secrets held inside, but there was only so much one boy could do in so short a time, especially a boy who always had so much trouble on his plate all the time. But now that he had the rare opportunity to read over its contents, without any training or school to impede his curiosity, Naruto found himself jumping at the chance to learn more about his lineage and the power they wielded.

"Alright, lets see.... Maybe I should see what jutsu they have in here."

After searching through the scroll for some time, Naruto finally came across a section that drew his interest. There was a strange symbol etched onto the surface of the scroll that almost looked like a seal of some kind, but the intricate design was unlike anything he had seen before in any of the other seals he had read about in his studies. The patterns were somewhat similar to the ones that covered his scroll, only they formed a circular design that slightly resembled any other typical seal. After studying the intricate design, Naruto searched over the page and read the message bellow.

"This seal is the key to calling on the ancient power of 'Ryuuga' in order to aid its wielder in battle." Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. "Hmmm, I wonder what that is? Maybe it's some kind of jutsu, but I guess whatever it is, it must be quite cool."

Naruto then read the rest of the contents of the page in order to find out more. Apparently, all Naruto had to do was perform the hand signs displayed at the bottom of the page before channeling his chakra into the seal in order to complete the technique.

"Well, that sounds simple enough."

Letting his own curiosity get the better of him, Naruto quickly formed the hand signs required and then molded his chakra accordingly, before slamming his palm into the seal. After that, a golden light began to envelope the area around his hands before a massive burst of energy erupted out from the centre of the scroll, flinging Naruto backwards and causing the couch he sat on to topple over in the wake of its force. Naruto landed on his back with a resounding thud as both he and the furniture came crashing to the floor, before he heard a sharp cracking sound akin to a lightning strike echo throughout the room coming from its centre.

"Ow!!! Why is it every time I try something with this stupid scroll, I always land up on my back?" Before Naruto could even think, a call came out from the kitchen.

"Naruto, be careful out there! I don't want you playing rough in the lounge!"

"Alright dad!!!" Naruto shouted in reply, while puling himself up off the floor. The young blond quickly picked up the knocked over furniture with a great deal of effort and placed it back on its legs, before leaning against the soft surface with a heavy pant.

"Well, I wonder what that did exactly?" He mumbled to himself, but when he looked up to the centre of the room again, he couldn't help his jaw from falling at the sight that met his eyes. There, standing in the middle of the room, skewering straight through what was left of the beverage table that once occupied the floor, was the most amazing sword he had ever seen in his life. Its slightly curved blade was stuck firmly into the now smoldering floor, having pierced straight through the wooden table and cutting it cleanly in half. Naruto could only say one thing as he marveled at the beauty of its design.

"Dad's gonna kill me when he sees this!!!!"

Naruto quickly scrambled around to the scene of destruction and stepped up to where the blade stood. From what he could tell, it looked like a variation of a katana, only the width of its blade was sever so slightly wider than what he had seen before in similar weapons. The hilt itself was an ivory white in colour with golden patterns running along the entirety of its surface, matching the same intricate designs that adorned his scroll, while the hand guard looked to be made of pure gold.

The blade itself was a clean platinum colour, almost perfectly clear, but the steel it was forged with looked unlike anything that had ever graced any of Konoha's blacksmiths and it shined with a brilliant hew in the soft light in the room, perfectly reflecting everything around itself. Also running along the length of the blade, engraved into the steel, were etchings of even more patterns and symbols scattered across small intervals. To put it simply, it was the most amazingly profound and yet delicate design he had ever seen in his life.

"So.. This is what Ryuuga is. That must be the name of the sword."

Naruto slowly moved his hand over to the hilt of the blade, slightly nervous about touching such an intimidating, yet beautiful weapon. It was then that he realized that it was almost as tall as he was, standing just level with his eyes, although it didn't help with his short height. After taking a deep gulp, he eventually moved his grip around the handle and held it tightly in his hands. As soon as he took hold, the patterns etched into the blade started to glow warmly, matching the soft golden colour his eyes reflected whenever his Tenraigan was activated.

Naruto quickly retreated his hand when he noticed the odd reaction, slightly afraid of what might happen, but then returned his grip after reassuring himself of his own safety once more. After taking hold of the blade again, Naruto felt an unusual attachment to it, almost as though he shared some kind of link with the weapon. It was the same kind of link he experienced whenever he touched someone else, only it felt even more personal.

"Wow, this is pretty cool. It glows whenever I touch it. I wonder if...?" Naruto forced more of his life force through his hand as an idea came to mind and noticed the glyphs begin to glow even more brightly as he did so.

"I thought so. I guess when I touch it, my life force flows through it just like when I touch someone else. I wonder if that does anything special?" Naruto quickly shook of his thoughts when he heard a shuffling noise coming from the kitchen, immediately alerting him to his father's approach.

"Dammit!!! If dad sees this, he's gonna freak out!!!!" Naruto moved his other hand over the hilt of the sword and tried desperately to pull it free from the floor, but despite his attempts, he was unable to gain the necessary leverage required. It didn't help that the handle sat just about as high as he himself stood, so it wasn't surprising that he was having some difficulty.

"Naruto, breakfast is ready!" Naruto flinched as he heard Iruka calling out to him and quickly redoubled his efforts, forcing more chakra into his arms and legs in an attempt to increase both his grip and his overall strength.

**"Stupid sword!!!! Get out of the damn floor!!!**"

After one last desperate pull, the blade finally broke free of its prison and loosened from the floor. Unfortunately, Naruto had put more force into it than he realize and that, coupled with the size of the sword, caused him to lose balance and stumble backwards. The blade itself flung over his head and caused him to step back in an attempt to regain his balance, but another sharp crack soon alerted him to another problem as he finally came to a halt.

"Oh no... not again.." Naruto turned around with a cringe only to see the same blade that he had just managed to free now sticking firmly out of the side of the wall. The only thing he could do was drop his shoulders in dismay as well as release a heavy sigh.

"Why does this always have to happen to me? It's just not fair!!!" Naruto quickly put his hands around the handle of the sword once more and tried to free it again, only this time it was even higher that before, so he was unable to apply his strength properly.

"I hate being so short!!!!!" Naruto tightened his grip even more and the pressed his feet against the surface of the wall, pushing against it in an attempt to gain more leverage. A few moments later, Iruka walked into the room, completely unaware of what was going on.

"Naruto, I told you breakfast is ready. Your food is going to get..."

Before the chunin could even finish his sentence, his eyes caught sight of the said boy completely lifted off the ground with both of his feet planted firmly against the wall, trying to pull out what looked like a sword that was jutting from its surface. His eyes then wondered over to the centre of the living room and to his now demolished table. He also noticed the golden scroll sitting on the couch and immediately realized what was going on.

**_"Naruto....!!"_** The said boy immediately paused in his efforts as he heard his name being called in what can only be described as an irate and rather angry expression. The young blond quickly dropped to his feet and placed his hand at the back of his head, scratching it aimlessly as he tried to avoid his fathers disapproving gaze.

"Dad... this isn't what you think..."

"Oh!?!? And what exactly am I thinking?" Iruka cut him off in a somewhat harsh tone. Naruto flinched when he heard his father's voice and bowed his head with guilt, realizing that he was in big trouble. Iruka just shook his head and walked up to where his son stood while crossing his arms in the fashion of an angry parent preparing to scold there child.

"Naruto, what did I tell you about using that scroll by yourself?" Naruto just shuffled his toes in an attempt to quell his nerves while his feet crossed over one another defensively.

"You told me not to use it without you being there." Iruka just nodded his head sternly.

"That's right. And what did you do just now?" Naruto retreated into himself even more as the assault on his conscience continued, his body curling up in an attempt to defend himself against whatever punishment may follow.

"I... I d... disobeyed you by d... d... doing what you told me not to."

Iruka noticed his son's withdrawal, as well as the way his body began to tremble and his voice stuttered, and then realized just how intimidating he must have appeared at this point in time. He quickly knelt down to the boy's height and tried to find his eyes with his own, which was proving rather difficult as Naruto made every attempt to avoid his gaze. He didn't like to see it when his father was disappointed with him, he didn't like to see that in Iruka's eyes. It made him feel worthless, like he had failed him somehow. The chunin noticed his son's wavering expression and let out a deep breath.

"Look Naruto, I know you want to learn all these cool jutsu in order to become stronger, but you have to learn to be cautious as well. You could have hurt yourself if something went wrong. How do you think I'd feel if something happened to you? How do you think I'd feel if my own son got hurt because I wasn't there to protect him when something happened to him?"

Naruto just stared blankly at the floor, not knowing how to answer. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he just wanted to make his dad proud. He just wanted to be strong so that others didn't have to be strong for him any more.

"I'm sorry..." Iruka noticed the pain and guilt in Naruto's voice as he spoke in a near whisper, as well as a hint of fear. "I'm really sorry dad. It's just that... I wanted to keep my promise to you. I wanted to become stronger so that I could protect you... I..."

Naruto looked back up to his father again with pain filled eyes. "...I just... don't want to lose you ever again. I don't want my nightmares to come true..."

Iruka noticed the tell tale signs of panic in Naruto's eyes and let out a deep, wavering breath. He just couldn't be angry with his son for long, especially when he knew that Naruto was only trying to do what the thought was right in order to protect those precious to him. He slowly placed his arms on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it gently, trying to ease his guilt as well as his fears.

"Naruto, I'm not angry with you, I'm just afraid you'll get hurt when I'm not there to protect you. I know that we both promised to grow stronger for each other, but we also promised to do it together. That means that I will be there for you every step of the way and you'll be there for me as well."

After that, the chunin pulled his son into a hug and held him tightly in the warm embrace, reminding him that he still loved him no matter how upset he was, that he would never abandon him or hurt him just for making a mistake. After a few more moments of relief, Iruka eventually stood to his feet again and allowed a warm, reassuring smile, causing Naruto to relax again.

"Now, lets go and have some breakfast, we don't want our food to get cold after all. After that, we can clean up this mess and go through your scroll again. Then we can learn some more things together, alright?" Naruto just smiled and nodded his head, his excitement of learning new jutsu already resurfacing.

"Alright dad!!! But... um, how do I get the big sword out of the wall?" Iruka scratched his chin in thought and grinned as an idea came to mind.

"Well, you summoned it didn't you? So maybe you should just... well... er... un-summon it... I guess." Naruto just slapped his forehead and cursed himself for his own stupidity.

"Why didn't I think of that before?" He then rushed over to the blade and formed a single seal, before placing his hand against the sword.

**"Kai!"** As if to follow Naruto's command, the blade promptly vanished in a flash of golden light, leaving nothing behind but the hole it once occupied. Naruto just let out a big sigh of relief and then turned to his father once more. After that, the two made there way to their breakfast together.

--

After Naruto and Iruka were done with their morning meal, and after tidying the mess in the living room, the rest of the day was spent with Naruto reading over the ancient scroll whose contents only he could see, while Iruka supervised him in any way he could. The young boy had come across a few other jutsu that caught his interest, but both of their time was limited and he could only learn the basics of one or two of them. He never even really had the opportunity to test them properly. but still managed to memorize the seals required to perform them.

Naruto also took some of that time in order to read over a few details about the unique repertoire of jutsus that his predecessors used, in order to gain some better insight as to how they worked. After going through the ins and outs, it was soon discovered that they only reacted to the unique energy patterns that resonated within his body that was the result of a combination between the flow of his life force as well as that of his chakra. This was done in order to prevent any other clans from copying their techniques, mostly because the seals used only reacted to Naruto's bloodline, or, more specifically, the life force that flowed through his touch. Not even the Sharingan could grant someone its powers.

After a long day of a somewhat disappointing lack of progress, it was eventually decided that Naruto could practice what he had learned so far on the field trip whenever they had time to spare. Despite how disappointed the boy was at not being able to learn more, he understood that it was too dangerous to rush things. First he would master what he had practiced so far and then he would move onto the next technique. Now it was nearing nightfall once more, and as the sun began to make it's way to the horizon, Iruka was busy boiling the kettle in the kitchen, preparing two cups of soup for himself and his son.

"It's been a long day..." He murmured to himself, thinking on everything they had managed to squeeze into just a few hours. "... but at least Naruto's mind is off what's been happening lately."

After pouring the hot water into the two mugs, Iruka made his way to Naruto's room and pushed open the door with his feet, before stepping inside. As he entered into the room, he noticed Naruto sitting on top of his bed with his scroll opened next to him. He also had a small paintbrush in his grasp with ink on the tip of it. Iruka noticed that he seemed to be drawing something on the back of his hand, but he couldn't make out what it was.

"So kiddo, what are you up to now?" Naruto looked up from his gaze and looked over to his father, before smiling warmly at the approach.

"I'm drawing a seal on my hand so that I can summon Ryuuga whenever I want to." Iruka just furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, causing Naruto to sigh somewhat despondently.

"That's the name of my new sword. According to my scroll, I need to channel my chakra through a special seal in order to summon it, but I don't think it's a good idea to be carrying my clan's secrets around wherever I go. So I decided to draw the seal onto my hand so it's always with me whenever I need it."

Iruka handed over one of the two cups to Naruto, who gave a polite "thank you" in return. He then set his own mug down on the nearby shelf and looked back over to his son, who was now drinking the warm broth without much restraint.

"So where did you get the idea of drawing the seal onto your hand?" Naruto placed his own cup down and then wiped his face before looking back up to his father.

"It showed me how to do it in the scroll. It said something about it being used as a safety measure in order to stop any one else from using the technique. Apparently, the seal only responds to my bloodline, so no-one else can use the jutsu to summon it even if they new the hand signs." Naruto then lifted his hand to show his father the seal. "See....?"

Iruka was surprised to notice how intricate the design was and found himself wondering how someone of Naruto's young age had managed to showcase such a tremendous skill in artwork. What intrigued him even more was the fact that it was very similar in style to the body art that had adorned his son just a few months before while he was comatose. The boy noticed his father's mesmerized stare and began to blush slightly as the man held his hand up to his eyes while studying his work.

"Well, it's not finished yet..." He grinned sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed by the situation. "I have a few more strokes to draw and then its done. So what do you think dad? It's pretty cool huh!?" Iruka was snapped out of his daze as soon as Naruto spoke and he quickly let go of his son's hand.

"It's... very good Naruto, but working with seals like this can be very dangerous. If you make a mistake in the design, the consequences could be severe." Naruto just bowed his head in disappointment. It seamed no that matter what he did, he always ran into a brick wall that tried to hold him back. Iruka noticed his falling expression and mentally cursed himself for bringing his son's spirits down, especially seeing as how he was only trying to make his father rpoud.

"But... It looks like you did a really good job this time. I'm very impressed Naruto, in fact I think you may be a natural at this kind of thing. I'll let you finish this one, but in future I want you to discuss any further seal making with Jiraiya before you even think about using them. He knows a lot about the subject than anyone else I know and he may even be able to teach you how to use them properly without any accidental mistakes." Naruto seemed to cheer up again as he heard the praise and threw his arms around the man sitting next to him.

"Thanks dad. I promise I won't let you down." Iruka just squeezed the boy tightly and allowed another smile to etch itself onto his features. The warm feelings he felt at that moment seemed to relax him somewhat despite the unease he felt inside.

"Now, why don't you finish up and then go to bed. We've had a long day and you need your rest after everything that's happened." Naruto just nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah... and we also have to wake up early for the field trip..." Iruka just pulled out of the hug and looked onto Naruto's face, while his own expression fell into a small frown. He had forgotten all about the survival training.

"You know Naruto, if you don't feel up to it, you don't have to go tomorrow. I can pull us both out and get another teacher to..."

"No..." Naruto cut him off. "I want to go. I've never been able to do things like this before because I never had a family. It makes me happy to be able to go with you as my dad..." Iruka just smiled warmly and then patted his son on the head.

"Alright kiddo, it's settled then. Now get some sleep, we have a long week ahead of us."

After that, Iruka made his way out of the room and back to his own, before retiring for an early night. Once he was gone, Naruto turned back to his unfinished design and painted the last few strokes required to complete the seal.

"There, that's all of it..." As soon as the pattern was complete, the dark outlines of ink began to glow a bright gold in colour, before it burned away and disappeared completely, almost as if it was never there in the first place. Naruto looked over the surface of his skin, over the area the ink once occupied, but found no trace of the etchings. The only thing that was left was a small tingling sensation brushing against the top of his hand.

"Well, I guess it's finished then..." Naruto murmured to himself. Even though he couldn't see it, he could still feel some of the power flowing from the seal. After that, the boy put away his scroll and wrapped himself up in his blankets, before turning of the lamp next to his bed. He would need his rest for the coming day.

--

Dawn arrived quickly with the rising of a new sun, showering the household in its warm rays and the promise of a better day to come. Iruka shuffled in the ensuing light as his body began to waver precariously, his internal clock sounding off in a bid to wake him up for a new week. But before the young man could even open his groggy eyelids, the door to his room suddenly shot open, revealing the small figure of an excited blond as he quickly rushed up to his father's bed, before jumping onto the sleeping form that was held within it with deftly enthusiasm.

**"Morning dad!!!! It's time to wake up now!!!!! Common!!!! Hurry up!!!!!"**

As the young blond continued to bounce up and down excitedly on his father's body, Iruka's eyes slowly began to pry themselves open, while his nerves tried to recover from the shock of what was happening.

"Alright, alright... I'm up, I'm up..." Naruto watched with a small pout as his father's eyes began to close again right after he spoke, before hearing a brief snort coming from the chunin's mouth.

"Hmmm, so he's not waking up eh? Ha!!! I know just the thing!!!!!" Naruto just grinned mischievously as the perfect prank came to mind. He quickly started forming a series of hand seals until a grumbling voice paused him in his tracks.

"Don't even think about using one of those genjutsus of yours on me..." Naruto's eyes widened in shock for a moment, but his expression quickly fell into a deep scowl.

"Man!!! How did you know what I was going to do!?!?! You ruin all the fun!!!!!" Iruka just opened one eye lid and peered over to his son, before grinning mischievously.

"Well I am your dad after all so I know exactly what you're like." Iruka's grin deepened even more as an evil glint began to reflect in his eyes, causing Naruto to take a deep gulp of dread.

"And it's also why I can do _THIS_ to you!!!!" The young man quickly burst out from under his covers and grabbed Naruto's arms before the boy could jump away and pinned him down to the bed, before tickling him in the stomach.

"No... hahahaha... stop that.... it tickles...!!!!" The young boy tried to squirm out of his father's grasp as he was tickled without mercy, but found himself laughing too hard to even move properly. "Alright... hehehe.... you win!!!! I give up... I give up!!!!" After that, Iruka released the boy from his torture and allowed Naruto to sit up again. The young blond just flashed a massive grin before jumping off the bed once more and running over to the doorway with a childish enthusiasm.

"Hurry up dad!!! I wanna go now!!!! I've already packed everything I need!!!" It was only then that Iruka noticed that Naruto was already dressed and ready to go and couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. Naruto disappeared out into the hallway soon afterward, leaving the somewhat shocked chunin alone in the room.

"Sheesh!!! Since when did we swap roles? Normally I'm the one waking him up. I guess he's really excited about this trip."

Iruka then pushed himself out of bed and into the hallway before heading off to the bathrooms to get cleaned up. Once he was done, the two of them made their way out of the house with their backpacks hanging off their shoulders, heading to the academy for a much-needed week of fun and adventure. Of course, due to the fact that this was a survival training trip, only the bare minimums were allowed to be brought with, including sleeping bags, basic field equipment, a change of clothes and a tent to share between them in case it rained.

They were also allowed to bring a few field rations, but those were only for emergency circumstances in case food became scarce and they would most likely only last a day at the most. Other than that, it was up to the students and their parents to gather food for themselves from whatever source was suitable, whether it be picked from the bushes and trees of Konoha's forests, or from the hunting of fresh game.

Of course, no one expected the students themselves to be that efficient at such tasks, especially seeing as how this was the first real time that they were undergoing such an exercise and they were still young and inexperienced. This was why their parents were required to come along as well, to both guide them along the right course of action and to make sure that nothing went wrong. It was also difficult for one teacher to control an entire class of students by himself without losing track of any of them and this strategy helped enforce some larger degree of control over the enthusiastic youngsters.

After making their way past the busy streets of Konoha, the two finally found themselves arriving into the academy grounds.

--

"This is really becoming troublesome..."

Shikaku Nara let out a deep sigh of dismay as he sat in the bustling classroom of screaming children and their particularly fussy parents as he waited impatiently to leave the confines of the academy grounds, his bored expression etched deeply onto his face.

"You haven't changed a bit have you? Ever the grumpy old man eh?" Shikaku just turned to face the source of the voice that had spoken out to him, only to see Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akamichi approaching in his direction. The dark haired Nara just let out another deep sigh, before smiling in light of the well timed arrival of his two best friends.

"If I'm old, that means you two are no better off either. Besides, you haven't been waiting around in a room full of screaming kids for the greater part of an hour." Inoichi simply laughed at the Nara's expression as he described what he thought to be the spawn of hell itself in a rather deadpan tone.

"You're always sounding too smart for your own good Shikaku, maybe that's why you always land yourself in a heap of trouble all the time. I'll take that your wife had something to do with you being hear so early?" Agrunt was the only response Inoichi received, of course it was the only one he needed and he couldn't help but snicker under his breath.

"So then, where's your son? I thought he'd be waiting here with you. Although I think that the sight of you two sitting next to one another would even be enough to put Anko to sleep." Shikaku just turned his gaze over to the nearby desk as his eyes fell onto he sleeping form of Shikamaru. Soon afterwards, he heard the blatant snickering of his two friends coming from behind.

"I see he's just as lazy as you are!!!" Choza blurted out as he tried to stifle his laughter. "I guess it comes with being a Nara!" The scarred man just shook his head from side to side while holding his hand up to his brow.

"You don't know the half of it. I had to drag him out of the house with my own bare hands just to get him here in the first place. If it weren't for his mother's insistence, neither of us would even be on this trip. It's just far too troublesome." The dark haired man then mumbled something incoherent about 'crazy women always shouting orders' before shifting his gaze back over to his former teammates with a questioning stare.

"And what bout your kids? Where are Ino and Chouji?" Choza simply pointed over tot he nearby wall where his son was eating yet another bag of chips, no doubt stocking up before the inevitable faust, while Inoichi simply bowed his head in defeat.

The blond haired Yamanaka just turned in his daughter's direction only to witness the familiar sight that he knew to expect. All three adults shook their heads in disbelief as they watched both Ino and Sakura fawning over a certain young Uchiha before turning on one another with a series of well timed insults. Both Shikaku and Choza were silently thanking their lucky stars that they weren't cursed with fangirl daughters while Inoichi began to secretly plot for a way to get rid of the major distraction to his child's kunoichi career.

Just then, as if to save them from their deteriorating thoughts, the door to the classroom clicked open, revealing the welcoming form of Iruka as he stepped out from the hallway. All three men gave a deep sigh of relief as their saviour entered the room to rescue them from their child-induced claustrophobia and the headache inducing noise they were forced to suffer.

"Thank goodness. I didn't know how much longer I would have lasted!" Shikaku grumbled, only loud enough for his friends to hear. "Now we can finally get out of this nightmare."

Just then, another figure caught their gaze as a small crop of blond hair stuck into the doorway, revealing two ocean blue eyes as they peered into the room. After a few seconds of scanning the environment, the rest of the small figure's body popped into view and hurried into the room, quickly rushing in after the man that had entered before him.

"Hey isn't that the Uzumaki kid?" Inoichi mumbled somewhat curiously. "I thought he was an orphan. What's he doing, going on this trip? I thought you had to have a guardian accompanying you at all times."

All three men stared curiously as the said boy ran up to Iruka's side, while avoiding any contact with everyone else in the room. The boy quickly latched onto the scarred man's side and tried to avoid the stares coming from some of the other parents waiting around him. After a few nervous shuffles, he reached up for Iruka's shoulder and tugged his clothes to gain his attention.

"Dad, can we go now? I don't like being in here with all these people around. It's a bit too crowded." Iruka just placed his hand on the boy's head and rubbed it gently, providing what comfort he could to ease his tension, while the former InoShikaCho trio listened in to the conversation with falling jaw lines.

"Iruka is his father!?!?!?!" They all gasped, almost in unison. The said man just knelt down in front of the young blond while gaining his nervous blue eyes.

"Don't worry Naruto, we'll leave soon enough. I just need to take a register of all the students and their parents and then we can go." Naruto just nodded his head and then watched as his father stood to his feet again.

"Now why don't you go and wait by your desk while I get everything sorted. I won't be long. If anyone gives you trouble, don't be afraid to put them in their place." After that, Naruto reluctantly made his way over to his usual seat while Iruka sat down behind his desk, before role calling started.

One by one, each parent or guardian would make their way over to the desk in order to sign themselves in, as well as their children. Once just about all of them were done, one last person made their way to the front of the desk. Iruka was somewhat surprised by who it was that was approaching and crossed his fingers over one another, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Good morning Itachi-san, I didn't expect to see you here today." Itachi simply nodded his response before handing the teacher a small letter with a signature etched on its surface.

"It is good to see you Iruka-san. Unfortunately, our father could not accompany Sasuke on this training exercise, so I have come in his stead. I have a signed letter for you in order to clarify the scenario and the reasons for his absence, but in the mean time, I will be acting as Sasuke's guardian in place of our father."

Iruka just nodded his head in understanding before reading over the contents of the letter. After all, it wasn't the first time that a prominent clan head was forced to drop out of such a field trip. He was actually surprised to see that Hiashi had even managed to escape the grasp of the Hyuuga elders and was currently standing at the far side of the room with his daughter. Most of the time, one of the other clan members were sent in order to make up for the lack of a parent, but Iruka was somewhat glad that Sasuke at least had his own brother to keep him company. Any family, even if only an older sibling, was better than someone he didn't even know from a bar of soap.

"I'm sure this will do fine Itachi. I don't see any problem with you accompanying Sasuke." He finally murmured, before shifting his gaze over to the younger Uchiha waiting quietly at the end of the room.

Sasuke just sat there quietly, seemingly lost in an endless trance. It was easy to see that he was upset even though he tried to mask underneath his seemingly cold demeanor. In fact it was easy for any loving father to see the pain in a child's eyes even if it wasn't their own. Only in Naruto's unfortunate case had that proven to be otherwise, mostly because of the ignorance of the other villagers.

"It... must be difficult... not having your father around all the time..." Itachi just nodded his head before sharing in the chunin's gaze.

"Yes... it is hard on him. My brother is always trying to gain our father's attention in any way he can, to prove himself as an both Uchiha and as his son, but being the head of our clan, he can not always be there for his family." Iruka just frowned as he heard the emotionless monotone coming from Itachi's voice. Sometimes he wondered if the Uchiha genius even had any emotions at all, but even still, somehow he could detect the slight undercurrent of concern in Itachi's expression.

"Yeah... I guess so..."

--

Once everything was done, the large group slowly made there way out of the academy grounds and over to the front gates of Konoha, with Iruka leading the way for the rest of them. Naruto followed a bit further behind, but not too far as to lose sight of his father. The young boy couldn't help but notice the hateful stares he was getting from some of the other parents as well as the curious stares he received from some of his classmates. They were no doubt curious to know why he was there. Once they were at the massive wooden gates, the scarred chunin turned to face his audience and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was about to come.

"Alright everyone, listen up!!!! Our journey will last for about a week if things go according to plan. During that time, I want everyone to pay close attention to both me and to your parents. Even though this is a training exercise, the dangers presented are still very real, so reckless behavior is not advised. Always be aware of your surroundings and don't hesitate to inform one of your elders if you notice anything out of the ordinary..."

"You mean like the little dobe?" one of the students snickered to his nearby friend, while nudging him in the ribs. A quick glare from Iruka quickly shut him up, although the killing intent flowing from his disapproving gaze helped as well. Some other the other parents seemed to notice this as well and that had their curiosity piqued even more. After recovering from the interruption, Iruka finished his speech.

"If you think you have a problem, just let me know and I'll try to sort it out as best as I can. Other than that, all I can say is just enjoy the trip and have some fun. This will be the first time out of the village for most of you, so I'm sure you're all eager to see the sights of our countryside. It will be a great experience for you all."

The chunin then looked over to where his son was standing and gave off a small wink, causing Naruto to smile warmly back at him. After seeing the look on the boy's face, his own nerves began to ease once more and allowed themselves to be replaced by something akin to excitement. For the first time since he found out about this excursion, Iruka was starting to feel excited about spending some quality time with his son.

_'Yes, that's right Naruto, we're going to have fun this time. Your father will be here with you, walking by your side and smiling every step of the way.'_

With that, the small crowd slowly made there way past the tall wooden gates and outside the village, passing into the surrounding forests and countryside for a new adventure that would forever remain in their deepest memoires.

--

Back at the academy, a lone figure slowly makes its way down the empty hallways, past the classrooms that were still in session to an unknown destination. After walking for a few more moments, the man finally entered an empty room, save for the lone figure of an unknown man standing at the nearby window.

"Ah, Mayakashi, I take it everything has been set according to plan?" The young man slowly nodded his head, before taking a deep gulp of dread. He didn't know why, but this person seemed to radiate a feeling of dread whenever he was near.

"They have already made their way out of the village just as you've requested." The shadowy figure slowly turned around from where he stood and settled his gaze on the academy official, before giving an approving nod for his efforts.

"Good, you have done well. Our last attack didn't seem to have the desired result I had hoped for, so this time we will deal with the problem at its source. Without the protection of the village walls, he will no longer be able to hide from the dangers that seek to destroy him." The young academy official simply lowered his head, his gaze finding itself wandering the floors in an attempt to escape the sudden guilt that found itself eating away at his heart.

"What about the other students? What will happen to them?"

"Some sacrifices are necessary in order to ensure the greater good of our village. After all, this entire operation will need to look just like any other typical enemy attack in order for us to avoid suspicion. Collateral damage is of no consequence in order to reach our goals." At this, Mayakashi just gave off a shuddering sigh.

"I... I see..." The unknown shadowy figure that occupied the room walked over to where the young man stood and locked in his gaze with darkened eyes, before placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Do not fear, you are doing the right thing for everyone. Your action's will rid this village of the very monster that seeks to destroy it. The sacrifice of a few small lives, will save that of the many. Now, go and see to it that everything follows suite accordingly." Mayakashi quickly bowed in obedience and then made his way out of the room once more, leaving the other lone figure behind. Once the young man was gone from his sight, he turned back to the window and looked outside once more.

Everything is going according to plan. The people of this village are simple minded fools who are easily bent to my will. After all, a heart full of hatred is the most easy to manipulate to my ends. All one has to do is find the object of that hatred and give it a little push in the right direction."

--

**NOTE: Ryuuga = Dragon Fang**

Alright, before anyone asks me about it or has a haffy attack, yes, the Uchiha clan still exists in my fanfic. Don't argue with me about my descission or complain about it, because I kept them alive for the purposes of my story. The Uchiha clan as a whole will play a larger role in the events to come, especially the events revolving around Naruto himself. Whether or not they are still wiped out later on is still undecided. That's all I'm gonna say for now.

Because the Uchiha clan is still alive, Sasuke's character will also differ somewhat from how he is portrayed in canon. He will still be the object of every fangirl's desires and he will still have his own issues to deal with, but I wanted to play him differently from the emo 'I want to get revenge' brat he is always written as in most other stories I've come across. I plan to develop him in a different way and deal with his own psychological problems accordingly, most of which I'm sure you can already guess as to what they are just from this chapter.

As for Itachi... you'll just have to read and find out. Please note that this is a 'Naruto centric' fanfic and the focus will remain as such. I don't want any of the other characters suffocating his role in the story or becoming more prominent than him. I'm also not going to have him chasing around after someone that doesn't even care for him, so you don't have to worry about seeing that scenario.

Also, if you're wondering what other jutsu Naruto has learned from his scroll, they will be revealed in the upcoming chapters.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^ ^


	25. Chapter 25 Unwanted Attention

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey everyone! It's chapter 25 and Naruto's field trip gets underway! I was quite happy with this chapter when wrote it, mostly because it gave me the opportunity to have a bit of fun with Naruto. It also allowed me to introduce a few more interesting scenarios as well as possible future bonds for our young hero.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter. ^ ^

--

**Chapter 25 - Unwanted Attention**

The shuffling sounds of scampering feet scantly wisped across the air as a group of travellers slowly made their way out into the countryside that bordered Konoha, scraping through the dusty path beneath them with little concern while the sun shone through the trees that scattered around their trail. Naruto's eyes hadn't stopped wondering around himself since they had left the safety of the village gates for the first time, taking in all the sights and sounds of the forest as he marvelled at the wonders of what he was seeing.

The chorused symphony of singing birds was only further enhanced by the gently rasping sway of leaves as they rustled about in the early morning breeze, creating an enchanting atmosphere that swept away his heart in its endless beauty. Even the insects seemed to join in the musical orchestra, contributing with gentle hisses and shrewd chirps that whispered from the undergrowth that fell around the path.

"It's all so.... beautiful." The young boy whispered to himself, unable to speak properly as his breath was taken away by the sights, smells and sounds that flooded his senses. "I just wish I could have seen it sooner. If only my orphanage would have let me out more..."

Of course, this was Naruto's first time wandering so far from Konoha's walls, the village itself having already long since disappeared completely out of sight, leaving only the increasingly dense wilderness and all of its marvels. The path that they all walked upon was quickly degenerating into nothing more than a scant trail and would soon disappear all together, leaving no other sign of human influence on the otherwise seemingly untouched forests and mountain slopes as the class descended further into nature itself.

Naruto was almost too lost in his own excitement and sense of wonder to even notice the stares being directed towards him and for the first time in his entire life, the world seemed to be a beautiful place to live in. For the first time since leaving the dark confines of his orphanage, he finally felt like their was something better out there in the world after all. Since they had begun their journey, that would soon develop into a training exercise, Iruka had lead the group forward through a preordained path that had since been decided on long before the trip itself started.

It wasn't too difficult for him to navigate through the dense forests and mountain trails before them, mostly because this wasn't his first time travelling through this part of the countryside. The academy would often use this similar path for many of their field training exercises, in order to prepare the students for duties in the field, and Iruka was often chosen to head such expeditions. Unfortunately, because of this fact, Naruto was unfortunately forced to wander further down the group, unable to travel side by side with his father for the time being, lest he distracted the man from his duties. After all, he had a lot of lives in his hands, not just Naruto's, so the boy had resigned to sinking further down in the crowd until he eventually found himself wondering near the back of the class.

There were two reason's for this, the first being that he didn't like to stand in crowds, mostly because of the risk of physical contact. The second reason was his own subconscious defences instinctively guiding him away from the hateful eyes that bore down on him, as well as the potential threat they posed to his wellbeing. After a few more minutes of walking, Naruto's gaze eventually wondered back to the virtually nonexistent path before him, instead focussing on the other's travelling in his group.

Most of his other classmates were busy talking to their friends or their parents, leaving only Naruto alone in amongst the rest of his peers. He had thought about going over to talk to Hinata, but found himself somewhat intimidated by her father, who would often take a brief moment to glance back at him every now and again with a strange expression on his face. He didn't know whether it was a good or bad expression and it was really hard to tell with the bitterly stoic face of the Hyuuga clan head, but he wasn't about to take his chances.

Shikamaru himself hadn't stopped complaining since they had left the village, continually mumbling about how troublesome the entire trip was, which was only mirrored by the profoundly similar words coming from his own father. The Abarumes seemed to be content in just observing any insects they came across, often taking samples from any that gained their curiosity, before sharing their findings amongst one another while acting completely disinterested in anyone else around them.

The Akimichi's spent most of their time tending to their growling stomachs, trying to resist the urge to devour their emergency rations on the spot while Ino and Sakura, much to both of their fathers' dismay, were _still _busy fawning over a certain Sasuke Uchiha and he even noticed some of the younger female parents behaving in a similar fashion towards his older brother, who he had since discovered to be none other than Itachi Uchiha.

Naruto had never come into contact with any other Uchiha other than his classmate and even then he had never spoken to the said boy before, but even still he had heard enough about them to know who they were, especially the renowned genius of their ranks and heir to the clan. Of course, it didn't help that much of the history lessons learned in the academy, especially those detailing Konoha's founding, often revolved around that particular clan as well. One would think they were gods gift to the world, in the way that the textbooks held them in such high esteem.

"Why do all the girls always act like they're so special? Would they act the same around me if they knew about my heritage?" Naruto mumbled sourly to himself.

However, the boy quickly shook away his thoughts and stomped them completely, realizing that the last thing he needed was for more people to see him for his status rather than for who he really was. He had already suffered enough because of the blindness of those around him, a fact that made his genuine relationship with Iruka and the few friends he had that much more important. In fact, when he thought about it even more, he didn't even envy the Uchiha one bit, especially when it was so obvious that people only saw them for name itself and not the person wearing it. That was a flaw that many in his village seemed to share when it came to judging others around them.

"Man, it totally sucks!!! Even if they were horrible people, everyone would still worship the ground they walked on, but when it comes to an innocent person who holds something they have no control over..." Naruto's eyes began to water as his thoughts began to deteriorate ever so suddenly, thinking back on the treatment he had endured throughout his life all in the name of something he had no choice in, but he quickly shook it off once more.

"No... get a hold of yourself. There are people that care about you. There are people that love you for who you are and not what you carry." As Naruto reminded himself of his most precious bonds, he began to notice the cold stares of those around him, placing even more doubts into his heart as he was forced to bear the hateful eyes of some of the other parents.

Naruto turned his eyes to the ground again, trying to avoid the harsh glares and silent whispers that came from nearby. It only made him feel even more alone than before and all he wanted to do was run up to his fathers side and walk under the protection and comfort of his arms. He just needed a friend, someone to keep him company who wouldn't judge him or treat him like an outcast. As the boy wondered about what he could do to ease his loneliness, an idea suddenly came to mind, causing him to smile in excitement.

"I know just who to call!!!" Naruto quickly bit his thumb and formed a series of hand seals, before slamming his palm into the ground. After a brief flash of smoke and a few seconds had passed, the plume cleared away again, revealing the prone form of Ryuukimi as he came into view, his eyes only now opening as though he had just been woken up.

"W... what? Who's there? Who summoned me at this time in the morning?"

"Hey Ryuukimi-chan, it's me!!! Naruto!!!!" The small dragon quickly shot open his eyes in surprise and jumped to his feet, excited about hearing the voice of his friend again.

**"Naruto!!!!"** The dragon quickly jumped up into his friend's arms and snuggled tightly against his chest, almost causing the boy to fall over from the impact.

"I was so worried about you! I thought I was going to lose you..." Naruto just frowned in confusion as he heard his friend's anguished voice as well as the pain in his expression.

"What do you mean? What's wrong buddy?" Ryuukimi looked up tot he blond boy with pain filled eyes, but eyes that showed the clear signs of the inner relief he felt deep inside.

"The day after we did that test with Kakashi-sensei, after I went back home, I felt something strange while I was walking with my father in the afternoon. I felt all of this pain all of a sudden and a lot of sadness as well, and I knew that it was you... somehow I just knew. I knew you were hurt badly and it felt like your life was disappearing. It was horrible..."

Ryuukimi then dug his head back into Naruto's chest again and began to quiver violently, as if to release the tension he felt inside. Naruto didn't know if dragons could shed tears, but he suspected that the young creature was crying in his own way. The blond could feel the panic and raw emotions coming from his touch, as well as the shock that had gripped his small body.

"Then t... the day after that, I could feel you... crying. You felt so sad and alone, as though the entire world had abandoned you, and it made me feel alone as well. I wanted to come and see you, I wanted to be there for you, to tell you that you weren't alone, that I was there to... help you, but there was no way for me to get to you. I felt so helpless." Naruto just squeezed tightly around the small creature in his arms, trying to comfort him in any way he could as well as to relieve his tension.

"It's alright buddy, I'm still here. I'm better now... I'm alright..." After a few moments of allowing his companion to calm down, Naruto eventually spoke again in a gentle tone.

"How... how did you know...?" Ryuukimi finally broke away from Naruto's chest and looked up to share in Naruto's gaze.

"I don't know... I just felt it. When I asked my dad about it, he said that it was because we were soul mates. He says that because our souls are linked to each other, when one of us is in danger or in pain, the other one would feel it as well. He says it's because we are connected to each other in a special way." Naruto nodded his head in understanding before Ryuukimi spoke again, this time in a near whisper.

"Just promise me... please... promise me that if you're ever in trouble again, that you'll call me. I don't want to feel you in pain like that again. I don't want to feel helpless when I know you're hurting. I don't want to lose my best friend..."

Naruto just nodded his head numbly once more as his own emotions began to churn deep inside, realizing exactly how it felt to think that you've lost someone precious to you. He knew how helpless he felt when he saw his own father lying in a pool of his own blood and he never wanted anyone else to ever feel that kind of pain if he could help it.

"I promise Ryuukimi-chan..."

The small dragon seamed to light up a bit when he heard those words and felt his body begin to wash over with relief, something that Naruto noticed easily as well. He knew that the boy would never make a promise that he didn't intend to keep, no matter what he had to do to achieve it. Ryuukimi then shook himself off again and climbed onto Naruto's shoulders, resting on the backpack that fell behind him.

After raising his front paws up onto the boy's head to support himself, he quickly propped up his head and began to take in the view around him. It was then that he first noticed that they weren't in the village and that they were travelling with a group of people, some of whom were staring curiously at his blond friend and the newly adorned headgear that sat on top of him.

"Sheesh Naruto-chan, you could have told me that we would have an audience. Then I wouldn't have gone and embarrassed myself like that." Naruto just scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry Ryuukimi, but you didn't exactly give me any time to explain. Besides, I don't think they heard you anyway. It's just that... I was a bit lonely, so I needed someone to keep me company."

Ryuukimi noticed his friends head fall slightly, which was easy considering he was resting on top of it. He then just grinned playfully, knowing that is his friend needed cheering up, then that was exactly what he would do.

"Well then, If it's company you want, you've got just the right dragon for the job!!!! I'm sure to light up any dull mood!!!!!" Naruto immediately perked up and giggled at his friend's silly antics as well as the implied pun, his thoughts on those around him quickly disappearing once more. This was exactly what he needed right now.

"So... Naruto... where are we going anyway? And what's with all these other kids?"

"Oh, them?" Naruto murmured despondantly. "Well our whole class is on a field trip at the moment along with all their parents. I'm here with dad, but he's a bit busy at the moment so I can't really spend time with him right now. I don't know where we are at this point in time, only that we're supposed to learn how to survive out in the wilderness, or something like that..." Ryuukimi just nodded his head in understanding.

"Makes sense... although dragons already know how to live with nature. Maybe I could give you a few pointers." Naruto just giggled under his breath.

"Yeah... if I need to start a camp fire, I know exactly who to ask!" The young boy just burst out laughing at his own joke, causing Ryuukimi to pout as his spotlight was quickly doused by his friend's words, but it wasn't long before he was laughing as well. As the two continued to giggle away in the sunlight, they caught the unwanted attention of three certain boys as they walked behind the happy pair.

"Looks like the dobe has a new hat!" One of them sneered, causing his two friends to laugh.

"Yeah, it's pretty ugly too! Looks like his fashion sense is about as bad as his choice in friends!"

Ryuukimi easily heard the snickers coming from behind and began to growl under his breath, his mood instantly souring. It was bad enough for them to mock him like that, but to make fun of his best friend was definitely asking for trouble. Naruto seemed to have heard it as well, because the young dragon noticed his friend begin to tense up as well, causing him to fume even more. He silently wondered whether it was because of their reference to his own friends as well. A small amount of smoke began to flare from his nostrils and his wings began to waver restlessly.

"Idiots! I should just roast their asses right now!"

"Just relax Ryuukimi..." Naruto mumbled softly in reply. "... It's not worth the trouble. I don't want to hurt anyone unnecessarily, so lets try to avoid a fight okay." Ryuukimi just scowled in disapproval and plopped his head down on Naruto's soft blond hair.

"Man, that just sucks. It's not like anyone's gonna miss them..." The three bullies themselves seemed to notice Naruto's lack of response because they too also began to seethe at the absence of attention.

"So, the dobe just wants to ignore us eh? Well lets see him ignore this!!!!"

The fuming boy then quickly picked up a branch off the ground next to the path and hurled it to the blond in question with all the force he could muster, aiming straight for the youngster's head. Ryuukimi noticed the approaching projectile from the corner of his eyes and quickly snapped up again, turning to face the threat. After taking in a quick breath, a large burst of flame suddenly erupted from the dragon's mouth, before smothering the would-be weapon in a plume of fire, causing it to fall harmlessly to the ground in nothing more than an smouldering heap. He then turned his gaze over to the perpetrators with a hardened glare, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he did.

**"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!!!!!!"** Naruto turned on his heels to face the source of the commotion, only to catch sight of the smouldering ruins lying on the ground as well as the shocked faces of his attackers.

**"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO HURT MY NARUTO-CHAN!!!!!!! I SHOULD JUST ROAST ALL OF YOU RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" **Naruto quickly tried to calm his friend down before he created to much of a scene, although it was already a bit too late for that.

"Um... Ryuukimi-chan, could you keep it down? You're kinda attracting everyone's attention."

Ryuukimi turned around to where Naruto was looking, only to see the other stunned faces staring back at them. Even Iruka had paused to see what the commotion was about, although the dragon could clearly make out the tell tale signs of the smirk on the chunin's face. The small dragon began to seethe even more as the rest of their audience stared at the two of them with bewildered expressions, causing his dragon-like temper to flare even further.

"What are you all looking at!?!?!?! Hasn't anyone here seen a dragon before!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Naruto just sank into himself even more as everyone who wasn't already staring paused to face them, his body beginning to waver under the pressure of their gaze. He suddenly found himself wishing he could just disappear on the spot, if only to escape the overwhelming urge to jump off any available nearby cliff. It wasn't often that he was the centre of everyone's attention like this and when he was, it only ever meant that he was in trouble. Even the Uchiha brother's spared a glance his way, causing Naruto to simply just scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

"Um... hehehe... you'll have to forgive him. He kinda gets excited when I haven't summoned him in a while." He gulped lamely, trying the first excuse that came to mind.

He was relieved to see that everyone seemed to accept his explanation and quickly got over their newfound shock, before continuing about their business, save for one or two pairs of curious eyes. Ryuukimi just pouted in annoyance at having been dismissed so easily before slumping back onto his friend's head, stifling a groan as he did. Once they were on their way again, Naruto breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"You know buddy... I could have deflected that branch myself. Those guys didn't even try to hide their attack and it was quite easy to hear it coming." Ryuukimi just grinned mischievously before looking down at his friend with a evil glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, I know that, but then that wouldn't have been fun! Besides... I had to get a point across to everyone. No-one tries to hurt my friend while I'm around!" Naruto just smiled as well, comforted by the fact that the small dragon was so willing to defend him from harm, even if it meant taking on the entire crowd by himself. It made him feel safer just being there and it also helped quell his nervousness. The young blond somehow suspected that Anko's influence had something to do with the overly excessive display and it only made him grin even more.

"Thanks Ryuukimi... I appreciate it."

The said dragon just nodded his head sharply before quickly snapping around again, shooting a deadly glare at the three bullies walking behind them. He was pleased to see them all jump back in fright before slowing their pace down to fall further behind and coudn't help hold back the evil grin that plastered across his face.

"Hmmmph! Serves them right!" The dragon sneered under his breath, before turning his gaze forward again. "They're just lucky I didn't bite their rears. Now let's see them try their luck again..." Naruto just gagged at the thought of what his friend had described.

"Ughh!!! I don't think that would taste very good at all. They probably haven't even changed their underwear in weeks. I think you'd die of food poisoning if you did that."

"Yeah... you're probably right about that..." Ryuukimi concurred as a shiver ran down his spine. This only prompted them to both laugh out loud again as they thought about it even more, causing Naruto to forget what had just taken place.

Perhaps this day was just going to get better and better.

--

After travelling for a few hours thereafter, Iruka finally prompted for the group to take a break while taking advantage of the small clearing they had stumbled upon. Everyone seemed to jump at the chance to allow their legs the subtle relief of resting while some of them began to hear their stomachs growling.

"Well, I guess we've covered enough ground for today. Maybe we should set up camp here tonight..." As Iruka became lost in his own thoughts, a voice suddenly called out to him, snapping him from his trance as a pink haired kunoichi jumped into his view.

"Hey Iruka-sensei, so what exactly do we have for food out here? I'm kinda hungry right now." Sakura moaned, tired of having to hike for so long without pause or food. Iruka just grinned heavily, noting the expression on her face.

"Well if you want to eat something, you're going to have to find your own food."

"What!!! Find our own food!?!?!" Ino shouted, causing her father to shake his head disapprovingly. Iruka just let out a deep sigh.

"Well, what did you expect? This _IS_ a survival training exercise after all." After that, he let out an another exasperated breath as he slapped his forehead in disbelief, wondering how some people could be so dense, before continuing with his explanation.

"Look, there's plenty of food all around this forest if you just know where to search for it. Some of the bushes and trees contain edible fruits or seed pods, although I'd let your parents examine them in case they're poisonous before you stuff your mouths if I were you. You could also just hunt for food if you wanted to and the wildlife is pretty prominent in this area. The options are endless really..."

Just then, Naruto came running up to where his father stood with Ryuukimi bouncing happily on his shoulders, causing Ino and Sakura to both look on with confused expressions. They were even more confused when the said boy threw his arms around the scarred chunin and hugged him tightly, before quickly pulling away with a big grin on his face while the man patted his head.

"Oi Naruto, what are you doing here?" Sakura questioned dumbly. "I thought that you had to have a legal guardian to go on this field trip." Naruto just looked up to Iruka with a questioning stare.

"Um... dad, what's a 'legal guardian'? All of them just jumped in shock when they heard the question as well as the reference to Iruka as his father, while the chunin just smiled back down at his son.

"She means someone who has the legal authority to care for the personal wellbeing and interests of another person, like the way I take care of you."

"Oh, so it's just like a mom or a dad." The boy concluded, to which Iruka nodded his head.

"That's right, although technically speaking it could even be a sibling or a cousin, or anyone else for that matter, just as long as they're capable and legally old enough to care for the other person, whether it be financially or just generally. Not everyone is cut out to look after someone else though." Naruto just bowed his head knowingly, his eyes wondering to the floor as he did.

"Yeah... I know all about that..."

Iruka just mentally slapped himself once more as he saw the reaction. 'Damn it, why do I always remind him of his past at the most inappropriate times! I have to watch my tongue more carefully...' The chunin's wandering thoughts were quickly shattered soon afterwards as Sakura and Ino both shouted out in unison, gaining their attention once more.

"You mean Iruka-sensei is your dad!?!?!?!?" Everyone else in the area turned to look as they heard the commotion, causing Naruto to once again withdraw himself from their gaze. Iruka noticed his discomfort and quickly spoke up to ease the sittuation.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I adopted him about three months ago. Is that really surprising?" The last question had a bit of distasteful sarcasm to it, although it wasn't misplaced considering how the chunin felt at the moment.

"W... well..." Sakura stammered, unable to find the right words. "It was just unexpected, that's all. I just didn't think..."

"That someone would care about me enough to take me in..." Naruto finished her off numbly.

Sakura just stood there silently, already regretting her choice of words as she noticed the pain forming in Naruto's eyes. Although she never really took the time to get to know him, she had always just assumed that he was nothing but trouble, especially with the way most of the other kids and their parents avoided him all the time. But when she saw that look, she suddenly realized that there was more to it than what she had first assumed.

"Naruto... I didn't mean that..."

"It's fine." Naruto cut her off again, rather coldly to boot. "I don't need you to understand how I feel. No one else ever cared anyway, so what difference does it make? None of you guys ever even bothered to try to be nice to me, you just didn't care about how I felt at all..."

Naruto's voice trailed off to the end as he spoke in a near whisper, causing Iruka to grow concerned while Ryuukimi just growled under his breath as he felt the boy's emotions dwindle precariously. Many of the other witnesses in the area had already since returned to their own devices, except for a curious few, including chouji, Shikamaru and Hinata, who had all witnessed the outburst. The blond boy then looked back up to his father again with a blank expression, his voice returning to normal as he spoke.

"Dad, there's a river nearby that we could catch some fish from. I saw it on the way here." Iruka just nodded his head, before squeezing Naruto's shoulder gently, causing the to relax once more.

"Good job... _**son**_" he grinned in reply, Emphasizing the last word for effect. "Lets both go and get some lunch." Naruto just smiled happily, finally having the opportunity to spend some time with his father. The two began to make there way to the river, with Naruto leading them, when a voice called out from behind.

"We'll come with you guys, that is if you don't mind..." Both of them turned around to see Shikaku, Inoichi and Choza walking up to them, the larger man already patting his stomach with glee.

"Besides..." the Nara continued. "What better bonding exercise is there than a father fishing with his son?" With that statement, the dark haired jounin slapped Shikamaru on the back, gaining a muffled "troublesome" as he did so. Iruka just looked at the three with a concerned frown, but then relaxed when he saw the genuine expressions on their faces.

"Sure, we don't mind if you come, do we Naruto?" The said boy just looked up to his father with a questioning stare, before the man winked back down to him. He then looked over to the three men as well as their own children.

"A... alright. I guess it's fine..." He gulped nervously.

"I'll come too!" Sakura quickly blurted, before holding her hand up to her mouth. "I... um, mean... I wouldn't want Ino to mess things up on her own. Someone's got to make sure she gets things right." This only got a glare from the said blond kunoichi as well as shaking heads from both of their fathers. After that, the group made their way to the river that Naruto showed them, leaving the rest of the crowd behind. Once they were out of sight, Hinata turned to her father with a nervous expression.

"Um... Hiashi-sama...?" The said man looked down at his daughter with a questioning stare, "Is... is it alright if I go with them?" Hiashi just continued to gaze for a brief moment, as if to contemplate his daughter's request, before nodding his head sternly.

"You may go, but I expect you to behave fittingly for an heiress. Don't do anything to embarrass the Hyuuga name or my own. You are my daughter and I expect you to act accordingly."

Hinata just nodded her head quickly in response to the cold berating, before turning and running off in the opposite direction, trying to catch up to the small group that had just left. As he watched his daughter disappear from his sight, Hiashi just shook his head in confusion as his thoughts began to wander.

**Flashback:**

Hiashi was slowly making his way through the Hyuuga compound, ready to retire for the evening, when he heard the subtle sound of impacts coming from the direction of one of the training dojos.

_'Who could be training a this time of night...?'_ He thought quietly to himself. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, the Hyuuga clan head quickly made his way to the source of the commotion, arriving just outside the doorway to the large room. As he peered inside, careful not to make any noise to draw attention to himself, his eyes widened in surprise as he caught sight of his own daughter busy moving away from a demolished training post before stepping up to another one, falling into her Jyuuken stance as she did.

_'Hmmm, so it seems my daughter has decided to continue training herself despite her failures concerning our families taijutsu style. Perhaps I should have a word with her...'_ before the Hyuuga could even finish his thoughts, Hinata suddenly released a barrage of pin point strikes at blinding speed, targeting all of the marked tenketsu points on the training dummy with a frightening precision.

It was over in a matter of seconds and the girl quickly returned to a normal stance to inspect her handiwork. Hiashi quickly activated his Byuakugan in order to take a closer look, but was surprised to see that every single target had been hit perfectly, singed with the small marks of slight burns that were no doubt a result of the chakra released during the impacts.

"Impressive..." He whispered to himself, stunned by the unexpected display. "... although her power is still a bit lacking."

Just as he said that, Hinata turned to leave the training room, deciding to call it off for the night. As she stepped away from her target, the wooden dummy suddenly exploded into small fragments, leaving nothing but a mess of splinters on the floor, no longer able to sustain it's form due to the critical damage it had sustained. Hiashi just stood there in shock, wondering how his daughter, the same daughter that had only been a disappointment to the main branch so far, had shown so much precision and power using their family taijutsu style.

_'I guess that explains the sudden decrease in our training posts.'_ The man quickly rushed after her quietly and followed her to her room, standing just outside the doorway while eavesdropping for anything that would give him a clue as to her newfound determination. After a few more moments of silence, he finally heard her speaking in a near whisper.

"I have to get stronger, no matter what. I wont just stand by and watch you get hurt again, not like the last time. Next time, I'll protect you..."

**Flashback End:**

Hiashi just stared blankly out in the direction his daughter had headed while his thoughts continued to repeat through his mind, causing his curiosity to grow even more.

'Hinata, just who is it that you care so much for? Who is the one that has given you the will to become so much stronger...'

--

As the small group of shinobi and students made their way to the rivers edge, Hinata quickly caught up to the rest of them, quickly falling in beside Naruto before slowing down her pace to match his. The young boy immediately noticed her and turned to smile in greeting.

"Hey Hinata!!! It's really good to see you again!!!" Hianta just bowed politely before returning the smile, causing Iruka to warm at the sight.

"It's good to see you too Naruto. I'm glad to see you're doing well." The chunin was surprised to notice that their wasn't a single stutter in the Hyuuga's voice, which was somewhat shocking considering how she used to act around others. It showed just how much she had grown ever since becoming friends with the blond and his older accomplice, Lee.

'I guess all a person needs to grow stronger is just to have someone who really cares about them standing besides them all the way.' The chunin then focussed his gaze on his son, noticing the smile on the side of his face. 'Isn't that right Naruto. That's why you've grown so much stronger as well...'

"So Naruto, aren't you going to introduce me to your _'friend'_?" Ryuukimi teased, emphasizing the last word with a hint of mischief in his voice. He was pleased to see that his efforts had the desired results as he watched the said boy's face begin to turn red in embarrassment. The emotions he felt coming from the boy's touch did little to hide his companion's obvious discomfort, causing the dragon's grin to widen even more. He had now found another weakness to use against his young friend.

"Um... H... Hinata... this is R... Ryuukimi. He's my summoned companion and he's also a dragon." The boy gulped, stuttering as he spoke. The young girl just smiled at his silly actions and bowed respectfully to the small creature.

"Yes, I guess we established that a bit earlier." The young girl giggled. "It is good to make your acquaintance Ryuukimi-san." Ryuukimi just rolled his eyes.

"Sheesh, there's no need to be so polite you know. You're almost as bad as Lee, just call me Ryuukimi." Hinata nodded in agreement.

"Ano... Ryuukimi..."

The three were interrupted in their conversation when they eventually stumbled upon the river, coming to a halt at it's base. Iruka then walked up besides his son and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, before squeezing it gently.

"Why don't you take care of this one Naruto, it will be good practice for you." The boy just took a deep gulp before nodding his head.

"Alright dad. I'll do my best." He then made his way up to the surface of the water, but quickly paused when he heard someone else speaking.

"It's time to watch you old man work his magic!!!" Shikaku boasted nearby, gaining a grunt from his own son.

"Heh, so that's how it is eh? Kids now days are so disinterested in their parents. Oh well, guess I'll put on a show for the birds, seeing as how I'm not cool enough for you guys." The dark haired man then held his hands together in the 'rat' seal. Naruto watched on with interest as his shadow suddenly extended from his feet and shot into the crystal clear water, traveling underneath his prey. Shikaku then quickly switched to the 'bird' seal.

**"Kage Nui no Jutsu!"**

Suddenly, hundreds of small dark tendrils burst out of the shadow and impaled some of the nearby fish in an inescapable snare.

"Hah! Looks like I've still got the touch!!!" The tendrils then hurled the fish over to the embankment before the shadow returned to its owner, causing him to cock his head up with pride.

"Being a little bit flashy aren't we?" Inoichi sighed, shaking his head from side to side. Shikaku just grunted in response.

"You just don't appreciate the subtle art of shadow weaving. Some people think it's really cool."

"Oh and who would think that?" The blond Yamanaka sneered in return, gaining a sharp glare from the older Nara.

"Wow!!!! That was so awesome!!!!!!! You totally nailed that fish with your shadow!!!!!" Both men turned to face he source of the praise, only to find the bewildered face of Naruto as he stared back at them in amazement.

"Well, I guess there's your answer." Shikaku smirked. "At least some kids now what it is to be cool, unlike a certain young boy I know..." Shikamaru just snorted as his father turned to face him with an accusing stare before lying down on his back to watch as the clouds strolled past through the sky.

"Parents are so troublesome."

A bit further down the river, Choza was busy using his multi-sized techniques to capture his own prey by the handfuls, literally, while his son tried to mimic his actions. Naruto just shook his head at the sight of it, knowing that they would probably finish the whole lot off in a single sitting without much effort.

Inoichi himself seemed to use some kind of paralysis jutsu for his efforts, holding the fish he targeted in place while Ino impaled them with wired kunai, before dragging them over to shore. It took a bit longer than the other techniques being used, but still worked effectively none the less and Naruto was surprised to see so many variations that one could undertake to finish any given task.

"Alright, I guess now it's my turn." He mumbled quietly to himself before stepping onto the waters surface. Naruto quickly made his way out onto the centre of the river while Ryuukimi continued to ride on his back, searching around for their prey with beady eyes. Once they were in position, the small dragon noticed the curious stares coming from the corner of his eye.

"Um, Naruto, I think we have an audience again." Naruto turned around to see what his companion was talking about, only to catch sight of the bewildered stares being returned to him. It was almost as though he had grown a second head.

**"What the hell!?!?!?!**" Sakura shouted, almost causing the boy to lose his balance and fall over. "How the hell can you walk on water!?!?!?!" Naruto just shrugged his shoulders before scratching the back of his head with embarrassment.

"Ehehehe... well, the thing is I can't really swim that well." He mumbled sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed by his own _'shortcomings'_. The pink haired girl just deadpanned.

"So... you just decided that defying the laws of nature and walking on water was easier..." She replied sarcastically. Naruto just nodded his head nervously, wondering why everyone looked so surprised by that.

"Yeah... that and I wanted to make sure that my dragon didn't get wet either..." he added lamely, trying to to escape the sittuation that he had gotten himself into. Ryuukimi just rolled his eyes before falling into his own blank expression.

"You just had to use me as a fallback, didn't you? You know, dragons aren't afraid of water and we don't mind getting wet either, despite what everyone might think. Some of us are actually quite good swimmers as well." Naruto just looked up with apologetic eyes, gaining a brief huff from his companion, before looking back down to the waters surface.

"Alright then, now lets do this!" He quickly brushed off the odd feelings of nervousness floating around in his stomach and then activated his Tenraigan, careful not to let anyone else see it glimmering in his eyes. After that, he scanned over the waters surface to search for the signs of life flowing beneath him. It was easy to make out his prey, even those that swam deeper from their view, especially when they lit up like that.

"Okay, I've got them. Are you ready Ryuukimi?" The dragon just nodded his head enthusiastically, giving Naruto his confirmation, although the boy didn't need to see his response to know his answer. Iruka just watched from the shore as he began to swell up with pride, especially after noticing the stunned expressions on everyone else's faces.

**"Then lets go!!!"** The young blond quickly threw a shuriken up into the air with steel wiring attached to it before forming a series of hand seals, while everyone else watched on with bated breaths, wondering what the boy would do.

'Sheep, Rat, Rooster, Boar, Tiger'. **"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!!"**

Suddenly, the single shuriken that he had thrown immediately split into five copies, before shooting down into the water with blinding speed. As soon as they hit their marks, Naruto quickly pulled on the wires, causing the fish he had ensnared to burst out of the water and fly up into the air above them. Ryuukimi didn't even hesitate for a second as he jumped of his companion's shoulders and quickly whipped around in the air, swatting the fish over to the shore with precise flicks of his tail, before landing back onto the boy's extended arm with a massive grin on accomplishment.

It had all happened within a matter of seconds and the others watching couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Naruto then deactivated his doujutsu and turned to face his audience once more, noting the falling jaw lines as he did. Even Shikamaru's normally bored expression was replaced with one of surprise, even if only a little.

The young boy just shrugged it off and grinned wildly, before running over to his waiting father and jumping into the chunin's arms. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had achieved something important, he just felt really good about himself. The others just watched on in surprise at the sudden display of affection.

"Did you see that dad!?! It was pretty cool huh!?!?!" Iruka just pet the boy's head affectionately, while enjoying the excitement and happiness coming from his son's touch. It was enough to make chunin himself happy as well, just knowing that Naruto was having a good time.

"You did great Naruto, that was really awesome, but where did you learn that technique you used just now?" Naruto quickly pulled out of the hug and shared in his father's gaze, never once losing his victorious grin as he did.

"Anko-neesan helped me create it during our weapons training exercises saying that it would come in handy to conserve ammo and catch my enemies by surprise. She said that it was the same as using normal shadow clones, except instead of making more of me, I just had to focus it on my weapons instead. The hand signs are also a bit different from the normal shadow clones, but it's basically the same idea behind the jutsu so we eventually figured it out. She also said I had to be careful not to make too many at once right now, because it also has similar downsides that the shadow clones do as well."

Iruka nodded his head in understanding, glad to note that Naruto already knew the risks of physical strain if he used it excessively and had already compensated accordingly. He knew the boy was just playing it safe by only creating five copies of his weapons even though he could have made a lot more with his chakra capacity.

"Alright then, lets get these fish back to the clearing. After that we can set up a campfire and eat to our hearts content." Naruto seemed to light up at the prospect of food because his mouth was already watering just at the mention of it but then a question came to mind.

"Um, but dad, what about everyone else? Are they gonna have some too?" Iruka just shook his head.

"No, they're going to have to find their own food as well if they want to eat. It wouldn't be fair for us to do all the work while they sit back and relax." Naruto seemed to understand, although something was still bugging him slightly, but before he could say anything else, Ino spoke up in his stead.

"But I thought that shinobi shared their food during mission, with each member of a squad taking turns to hunt or gather supplies."

"Yes that's right..." Iruka replied. "... but ninja squads are normally composed of four members per cell, so it's easier to feed a smaller group. When there are larger groups of strike forces or massed defenses consisting of multiple squads, each one of those individual teams are still expected to carry their own weight so that they don't hinder the performance of the entire group."

Ino just put her hand on her chin. "I Guess it makes sense."

"Is it alright if Hinata eats with us dad? She did come along after all." Naruto queried, worried about his friend going without food.

"Ano Naruto-kun, but I don't think I can." She quickly answered. "My dad will probably expect me to stay with him anyway. We'll have our own food so don't worry." Naruto just sighed in disappointment before silently nodding his head.

"Okay, I understand..."

The small group then made there way back to the clearing with their prize in hand, with Naruto and Hinata running up ahead while the rest followed a bit further behind. Iruka watched on with a smiling face as the two youngsters shared in one another's company, laughing and playing as they tread through the dense undergrowth.

"It looks like you've got a good kind there..." The scarred chunin quickly turned to his side to face the one who had spoken, only to catch sight of Shikaku walking up to his side, seemingly lost in the same view that he was.

"Yeah, he is a good kid. I just wish there were more people that saw him that way." Shikaku seemed to remain silent for a brief moment after that, sharing in Iruka's gaze as he watched the young blond in the distance. After a brief moment, Iruka turned to face the ground again, talking in a shallow voice.

"Look Shikaku, we both know what he is and what he carries, but if you try anything to..."

"Whoa!!! hold on there Iruka!" Shikaku quickly cut him off. "I have no intention of doing anything to harm him and I can assure you that Choza and Inoichi share the same feelings as I do. Not all of us are bloodthirsty animals you know."

"You mean you don't hate him? You don't blame him for what the Kyuubi did to the rest of the village like everyone else does?" Iruka questioned, somewhat curiously. Shikaku just shook his head.

"Iruka, I may seem lazy and shallow on the outside, but I assure you that I'm not as dense as those pitiful excuses for human beings that live in amongst our village. It doesn't take a genius to know that this boy isn't the Kyuubi, even though it has been sealed inside of him, but it does help that I am one anyway. I've heard all about the rumors regarding Mizuki's defeat at the hands of a _'monster'_ as well as many other's as well, but when I look at him, when I see the way he holds onto you so desperately, I know that the one who's really getting hurt is him. He's the one who is suffering the worst kind of pain."

Iruka just scratched the back of his head sheepishly, slightly embarrassed about reacting so harshly without any thought.

"Thanks Shikaku, I appreciate it more than you could imagine. I'm sorry for lashing out at you earlier, but I just thought you might be like the rest of them." Shikaku just smiled back at his fellow shinobi with a reassuring grin before waving his hand to dismiss the apology.

"There's no need to be sorry Iruka, any good parent would want to protect their child from harm. I would have reacted the same way if it was my Shikamaru that had to carry that curse." The Nara's head then dropped as he spoke those words, almost as if to contemplate the meaning of them, before speaking softly once more.

"If it was my son... I... I don't know what I'd do actually. I don't know if I'd be able to handle it... knowing that he would have to suffer so much. You're a very strong man Iruka, far stronger than most people give you credit for. I don't know how you do it, but it's good to know he has at least one person that's willing to care for him."

Iruka just turned to look forward again, watching as his son continued to walk further in front of him, his laughter filling the air with an exuberant happiness as well as filling his own heart with an deep sense of fulfilment. He allowed a brief smile to appear on his face as he heard Naruto's innocent chuckles scattered across the air while Ryuukimi prodded his cheeks again in an attempt to tickle the young blond. It was then that he understood where his strength came from. That was why he was able to endure.

"When I see him smile, it suddenly doesn't feel that hard any more." Shikaku looked over to the chunin curiously as he spoke in a near whisper.

"Just seeing him happy and smiling makes it all worth the trouble. That's all the strength I need..."

After that, they continued to the camp in silence, sharing no more words between them as they waded through the forest, their faces touched only by the scant rays of late afternoon sunlight that managed to pierce through the trees. Not to far in the distance, two wondering eyes gazed on with a keen interest as they captured two certain youngsters in their gaze, watching carefully as Naruto and Hinata interacted with one another.

"So, this is the boy. He is the one you want to protect so badly." Hiashi quickly deactivated his Byuakugan and then made his way back towards the campsite, ensuring that he arrived well before his daughter noticed he was gone.

"It seemes we have a lot to talk about, Naruto uzumaki..."

--

Note:

**"Kage Nui no Jutsu!" =** Shadow Sewing Technique  
**"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!!" = Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu (Used by the third Hokage in episode 69 during his battle with Orochimaru).**

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter. I'm sorry if I ended it with a bit much left in the air, but it was becoming a bit long again. There will still be even more interaction with the other rookies in the following chapters, so don't worry. I just didn't want to rush things to much, but everyone will get their chance eventually. I'll also give more insight as to what the others think about him after today's show, but that will come in the next chapter.

As for Naruto learning the 'Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu', I thought it was only natural, especially considering Anko was teaching him in weapon use. It also falls in nicely with his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu as well and i just think it just rocks. (I couldn't help myself).

Hope you enjoyed that chapter!!!!


	26. Chapter 26 Insight to A Broken Child

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

Hey everyone, it's time for the next chapter!

In the interests of improving the quality of my story and to weed out some of the errors that sometimes slip past my beady eyes, I have now employed the help of a Beta Reader.  
So I'd just like to give a big thanks to **Kiiroi Senko **for all your efforts in helping me and giving me your valuable input and opinion. Hopefully, this will only help to make the story that much better to read. XD

Hope you enjoy the next chapter! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 26 - Insight to A Broken Child**

The last remnants of late afternoon sunlight quickly died away as night fell over the campsite that would house the small group of traveling parents and students throughout the evening. The warm glowing hazes of numerous campfires had already begun to ignite around the clearing, with many of the travelers huddling into small groups around the furnaces with their friends and their children's' friends beside them. Naruto silently watched from his seated position under a nearby tree as laughs and smiles flowed around the cool evening air, lost in the atmosphere of happiness and joy that seemed to fall around him.

His gaze quickly shifted from one small group to another, taking a brief moment to scan over some of the faces that etched themselves into his memories, before moving on again. The boy would instinctively shudder every now and again every time his gaze fell onto any particularly familiar faces, his body tensing up in fear as his most painful memories suddenly came flooding back to him. Ryuukimi noticed his anxiety and propped up on Naruto's lap, curiously staring at his blond companion as the boy's eyes began to turn a soft golden colour in the failing light before flashing back to their normal blue shade. He immediately knew what that meant and he couldn't help but become somewhat concerned.

"Hey Naruto-chan, what's the matter? You seem to be upset about something." The last part was more of a statement than an observation, because Ryuukimi could already feel his friends emotions. Naruto was suddenly shaken out of his trance, responding by flinching slightly as though preparing for an unknown attack. Ryuukimi just sighed at the response and then shook his head, already knowing what was going on.

"It's them isn't it? You're afraid of them... aren't you?" The young boy just stared blankly at the young dragon, before his eyes fell to the ground beneath him, seemingly lost in themselves and the pain that they bore.

"I... I recognize some of them... some of their faces." Ryuukimi just cocked his head to the side in confusion, prompting Naruto to explain.

"While I was living at the orphanage, there was this one day that came used to come every year that I hated the most, the one day that I never wanted to see. It was the day that the village celebrated the attack the Kyuubi's defeat and it..." Naruto's face scrunched up even more as the flood of nightmares flashed through his mind once more. The emotions that Ryuukimi felt at the time were almost to much to bear, but he would not dare leave his friend's side as the boy finally found the courage to speak again.

"... it was also the day I was born on. It was my birthday." After that, Naruto let out a deep shuddering breath, giving himself a moment to regain his composure before continuing his explanation, speaking in a near whisper.

"It was on that day, every year, that my orphanage would give me a _'special present'_ for my birthday. Some of the wardens would arrive later at night during the celebrations to fetch me from my room and then take me into this big open hall, where there were other people already waiting for me. They were villagers mostly, but there were also some shinobi as well. It was... it was the only time I was ever allowed to see anyone from the village, but it was also the only time that I never wanted to." Naruto took a moment to take a deep breath, but Ryuukimi noticed the shudder as he drew air into his lungs. He knew that he wasn't going to like what the was about to hear.

"After that... they.... they would tie up my hands and legs so that I... couldn't escape... or run away.... not that there was anywhere I could go. They said that it was because I deserved to be treated like an animal and that I should just accept it. After that they would... they would..."

The soft gentle trickle of tears began to run down Naruto's cheeks as his eyes set into a full golden tinge, while his emotion's flared uncontrollably. He couldn't even finish the words that hung at the back of his throat, his breath choking whenever he tried to speak the painful words, but Ryuukimi didn't have to hear them to know what he was going to say. The bronze dragon just snuggled up against his young friend in an effort to comfort him as best he could while allowing the boy's tears to fall on top of him without any restraint. It was all the small creature could do to help ease the pain he felt coming from his friend, although he wished there was more that he could offer.

He had already long since known about the curse that the boy was forced to bear and had never thought ill of Naruto because of it. In fact, he was one of the few friends that the cursed youngster could turn to whenever something was on his mind, no matter what time of the day it was. The young blond would often even summon him to his room in the middle of the night in order to relieve some of his tension through pained words and shed tears, although Ryuukimi never did mind the interruption to his sleep if it meant helping his friend. The dragon was always there to lend an ear, never once judging his soul mate for those scant moments of weakness, nor for the fact that he was the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

After a few more moments, Naruto moved his arms around his small friend and pulled him even closer, holding him up to his chest while his head dropped lower until it was buried into the embrace. He just held him there for a few seconds, trying to find any comfort he could gain, before finally finding within himself the strength to continue.

"It... used to go... on for hours... sometimes even right through the night." He mumbled through his sobs. "Everyone would take turns... punishing me, saying that it was their... birthday present to me and that I deserved it. Most of them were drunk or had at least been drinking, I could easily smell it on their breaths, and those were the ones who always hurt me the most. They didn't care what happened to me or how much I cried and none of the others ever even tried to help me. They all just laughed and watched while it happened."

Naruto then let go of his friend again before trying to wipe the tears from his eyes, which was proving to be difficult because of how briskly they continued to fall. "I didn't even know why they did it... I never knew why they hated me so much, just that they did. I used to wish that I could just die so that it wouldn't hurt so much anymore, or that someone kind would come and save me, but no-one ever came. I was all alone."

Ryuukimi just pawed at Naruto's arm, trying to gain his companion's attention as he did so. The young boy quickly looked up to meet in his gaze with watering eyes that still reflected the golden shine of his doujutsu, as well as the pain of his haunting past.

"Some of them are... here... aren't they? That's why you're afraid... because you recognize the faces of some of some of the people that hurt you before. You're afraid they're gonna hurt you again if they get the chance." Naruto just nodded his head numbly, prompting Ryuukimi to snuggle up against him once more, while he fought to suppress a hateful growl.

"Don't worry Naruto-chan, I won't let them hurt you. I'll protect you no matter what happens... I promise. When we're together, nothing can stop us alright."

Naruto just nodded his head again before curling up into a ball, raising his knees up to his chest while Ryuukimi climbed up further. The young dragon snuggled against his neck, covering him in the protection of his wings as they sheltered the young boy in a defensive shield while hiding his tears from the judgmental eyes of those around the campsite.

The young demon container allowed himself to bask in the comfort and warmth of his companion's touch and he immediately began to feel better already. He felt safe under the dragon's protective wings, like no one could hurt him any more or cause him pain. He could feel a strange power coming from his small friend, a power that seemed to comfort him and he knew it wouldn't hurt him either. After a few more moments of comfort, his emotions finally came under control again, much to Ryuukimi's relief, leaving only the sounds soft laughter shared between friends and families as they filtered throughout the cool night air.

'_How can they act so normal and happy after they've caused someone else so much pain?'_ Ryuukimi thought to himself, wondering how human's could be so cruel to their own kind, especially someone so young.

'_I wonder how they would feel if it was their kids that were suffering like this.'_ Ryuukimi's degenerating thoughts quickly melted away as his eyes wondered over to the nearby group working just in front of them, where Iruka and the others that they had been fishing with earlier finished setting up their own camping site, with a small pile of firewood in the centre waiting to be ignited.

Choza and his son, Chouji, were busy adding more logs and branches to the flammable structure while Iruka and Shikaku set out the sleeping bags that they would be sleeping in that night, having no need for tents because of the immaculate weather conditions that blessed them with a perfectly clear sky. In the mean time, Ino and Sakura were both helping their own fathers clean and prepare the fish they had caught in order to make it ready for eating, while Shikamaru just lazed about nearby. It had already been decided that the five families would be grouping together for the night, mostly because of the mutual enjoyment of one another's company.

Although he knew Naruto was still uncomfortable with being around those he didn't know too well, Iruka eventually decided that it would be a good opportunity for him to open up a bit more and get to make a few more friends. Heaven knew he needed all the friends he could get. At the same time, he could still watch over his son and make sure nothing went wrong should anyone try to harm him. As the young dragon watched the scene playing out in front of him he slowly began to relax once more, knowing that there were still those who cared.

'_At least there are still some humans that are kind Naruto-chan. I think if something happened to you, they would protect you as well.'_

--

After getting everything ready for the night, Iruka turned and made his way over to where his son was sitting, noting that the boy was well hidden from view under Ryuukimi's wings. He silently wondered to himself about what could have caused such an odd display, but quickly brushed it off as Naruto just being shy around so many people. The young boy seemed to notice his father's approach, because soon he was looking up again to meet his gaze, peeking from underneath the wings of his protector. Iruka just smiled at the sight of his blue eyes popping out from under cover, causing Naruto to smile as well, although rather weakly.

"Hey kiddo, I know you must be really comfortable right now, but it's time to come and eat soon. I thought it would be easier for you to start the campfire for us anyway." Ryuukimi just grumbled something under his breath after hearing that, causing Naruto to giggle softly as he remembered the joke he had made earlier that day.

"Alright dad, I'll be right there." Iruka nodded his head and then made his way back to the others leaving Naruto to collect himself off the ground. As the young boy dusted himself off, Ryuukimi climbed back up onto his shoulders once more, before whispering softly into his ear.

"Naruto... are you sure you don't want to tell him about all of this? I mean if there are people here that might try to hurt you..." Naruto just shook his head from side to side before the dragon could finish his sentence.

"No, if I told him, it would only make him worry even more. He needs to focus on this trip right now otherwise others might get hurt, so I have to be strong and handle this by myself." Naruto then looked back up to his companion with heavy eyes, ones that showed the panic he felt inside despite his efforts to remain strong.

"M... maybe... you should get going now. I'm sure your dad is worried sick about you and I don't want you to be in danger as well."

"**No way!!!!**" Ryuukimi snapped back, almost causing Naruto to jump in fright. "There's no way in hell that I'm leaving you here with these guys by yourself! I'm staying put until I know your safe, even if it means that I stay with you for the entire trip, so don't even try to talk me out of it!"

Naruto was about to argue the point, but the feelings he felt coming from his friend already told him that it was a futile effort to make. If anything, Ryuukimi could definitely be stubborn, especially when it came to protecting his summoner and companion, and there was nothing he could say that would change the dragon's mind now. The young boy couldn't help but smile softly at his friend's efforts to remain by his side, even through thick and thin, before silently nodding his head. After all, if their roles were reversed, he knew he'd want to stay behind as well.

"Thanks buddy..." Naruto mumbled softly. "... I really appreciate it..." Ryuukimi could feel an immediate wave of sudden relief and comfort coming from the boy he rode on and grinned in return, glad that the youngster had accepted his offer, not that there was any choice in the matter.

"Alright, then it's settled! If anyone tries to mess with us, they're gonna be smelling the burnt remains all the way back in Konoha once I'm done with them." With that said, the two made their way back to the others waiting, gaining a brief smile from Iruka and curious glances from the other kids.

"Alright Ryuukimi, you know what to do." Ryuukimi just nodded his head before breathing gently towards the gathered logs and branches, setting them ablaze in a matter of seconds as a wave of searing heat emanated from his breath.

Naruto then extended his hands towards the growing inferno, before releasing a small breeze from the tips of his fingers, feeding the flames and causing them to spread even further. It was easy enough for him to manipulate his wind based chakra to some extent without using any hand seals, much like the way he had practiced when trying to cut water in half by just using his chakra alone, although he was still only able to create small gentle breezes over short distances from his touch. It did come in handy though and he often used it whenever the opportunity presented itself in order to increase his chakra control even further, almost like a training exercise of sorts.

"Hmmm, that's pretty good chakra control you've got there." Inoichi commented rather sincerely, gaining a nervous grin from the younger male blond of the group. _'In fact, it's far higher than any academy student should be able to handle at such a young age. I wonder what he's been doing to advance so much, or better yet... why he's doing it...'_

The Yamanaka quickly shoved away his wandering thoughts, deciding that he would have to ask Iruka at a later stage. By the looks on his former teammates' faces, Inoichi could tell they had similar thoughts as he did, although none of them said anything. Ino just looked at her father with a questioning stare, wondering why he would be complementing the so-called _'class dobe'_ in such a manner. She had always only ever seen Naruto as a pint-sized nuisance who was barely capable of scraping through the academy syllabus, let alone achieving anything special, but after seeing what he had done earlier that day she found herself becoming somewhat curious about her classmates capabilities. Naruto noticed her curious stare as her eyes wondered over to him and quickly turned away from her gaze.

He didn't like it when she looked at him like that, even when they were back in class. Her eyes always seemed to be judging him, promptly tearing him apart in their gaze and then discarding him like a pile of trash, as though he was completely unworthy of her attention. They were the same kind of eyes that had always brought him down his entire life, eyes that made him feel completely worthless deep inside. It also didn't help the way she had always treated him at school either and Sakura wasn't much better, to say the least. The only one's out of the four of them present who treated him with indifference, at least, were Chouji and Shikamaru, although that could have been written off to the fact that they just never actually talked to him either.

Once the new furnace was burning brightly, the group promptly sat around the warm blaze and settled in for their nighttime meal. Naruto sat closely next to his father with Ryuukimi taking a position on the boy's lap, while carefully trying to avoid getting too close to the others. Once they were all settled down, and their food had been cooked, Shikaku went around and handed each of them a skewered fish attached to a long stick, working his way around the group until almost everyone had their own. After making his way over to Naruto and Iruka, the handed over a piece to the scarred chunin, gaining a "thank you" as he did, before turning to face the young boy beside him, only to notice that his eyes were currently focussed on the fire, seemingly lost in a trance.

"Hey... Naruto..." He mumbled, while reaching out to gain the boy's attention. Naruto noticed the advancing hand out of the corner of his eye and began to pull away instinctively, alerting Ryuukimi immediately and causing the dragon to growl under his breath in warning. Seeing the odd reaction, Shikaku quickly withdrew his hand once again while the others watched with interest.

'_Hmmm, it seems he doesn't like to be touched.'_ Inoichi mused to himself thoughtfully. _'Not that his dragon would let anyone come near him.'_

As he continued to watch the boy carefully, he noticed Naruto's breathing begin to quicken and his body began to tremble slightly. Being a part of the Yamanaka clan meant that he had a knack for human psychology and what he was seeing was concerning. He knew what that kind of reaction could mean and he also knew what could have caused such symptoms. Being a father as well, he couldn't help but cringe at the thought of it.

'_Judging by the way he's reacting and the symptoms he's displaying, it's possible that Naruto suffers from Haphophobia, or at least a similar condition. Although it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case, especially after the rumors I've heard. I may have to talk to Iruka about this.'_

The said chunin had already intervened in order to ease the deteriorating situation by placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder to calm him down from his panic, before courteously taking the fish from Shikaku's hand.

"Sorry about that Shikaku, he's just not really comfortable around other people." The dark haired jounin just nodded his head in understanding before making his way back to his own position around the group, before sitting once more. The troubling glances he got from Inoichi only further enhanced his suspicions as to what Naruto had been through to cause him to act this way, but one thing was definite, it couldn't have been good at all. Once that was done, Iruka then handed his now relaxing son his meal on a stick, causing the young boy to smile nervously in return.

"Arigatou..." Naruto mumbled, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. He almost looked ashamed by his own actions, something that the younger half of the group noticed easily in the sound of his voice and the look on his face.

After a few moments of awkward silence, they all eventually dug into their evening meals, with Naruto sharing his own food with Ryuukimi as well. The young dragon would often swallow his own fish whole, which was quite surprising considering the size of his mouth. True to his prediction, both generations of the Akamichi present managed to finish off their entire catch in a single sitting, although no-one seemed to be surprised by that revelation.

Once they were all done, the group began to talk in amongst themselves, reflecting back on the passing day and everything that they had seen so far. After a few more minutes of aimless rambling, the conversation eventually moved onto more exotic topics as the older members of the group began to recall some of their own adventures as ninja, enrapturing the youngsters with their heroic tales of dangerous pursuits and astonishing battles.

Even the two would-be kunoichi of the group seemed to have their interests piqued and would often interrupt the glorious tales to ask a question or two. Even Shikamaru himself paid attention, despite everyone's growing surprise. Naruto, however, just sat their quietly the entire time, completely lost in a trance has his imagination was enraptured by the descriptions that fell onto his ears, painting the images of what the adults were describing throughout the colourful landscape of his young and adventurous mind. To be able to see the world, to live a life of adventure and excitement where no-one would judge him and there were no villagers to torture him, it was almost to good to be true for the young blond. Suddenly the life of a shinobi seemed that much more mystifying and enticing and he couldn't help but look forward to the time when he would have a story of his own to tell as well.

Of course, the darker sides of such a profession were far more severe than the present youngsters could ever hope to imagine, but their parents would not divulge in that truth for some time to come. That cold, dark reality was something they would forgo teaching for now, allowing the kids to enjoy the fantasies that made their innocence glow so brightly, an innocence that would remain for a few years still.

--

"... and then Choza... hahaha... he tried to use his clan's multi-sized jutsu, but because his chakra paths were so screwed up from the poison he was hit with, his ass ended up growing to the size of a small house... hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The older Akamichi could only shake his head in embarrassment as Shikaku went about the retelling of one of his more embarrassing moments as a shinobi, noting the bewildered look on his son's face as he did. Off to the side, Ino and Sakura were both trying their hardest not to role on the floor laughing as well and even Naruto seemed to giggle under his breath, the sound of which startled some of the present witnesses at how innocent it sounded, especially those who knew how he was treated. Shikamaru was also grinning and mumbling something about 'troublesome rear ends' while Chouji blushed at seeing his own father's embarrassment.

"Of course..." Shikaku continued through his laughter. "... it took an entire squadron of ninja to carry the big lug all the way back to Konoha after he promptly finished off the enemy shinobi by sitting on them, which he only managed to do because they were too busy laughing their insides out to even fight back."

"We couldn't even fit him through the hospital door when we got back, hehehehe!!!!" The dark haired man finished, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Yeah, that was quite some time..." Inoichi interrupted, trying to hold back his own tears of laughter. "...I still remember Ibiki complaining about how bad his '_prisoners'_ smelled when it came around to interrogating them. It didn't take long for him to get the information though, all he had to do was threaten them with another meeting with Choza's rear end, HAHAHAHA!!!!!"

By now, the said man had turned completely red in the face from embarrassment, but even despite this, his own burly laughs still managed to pierce through the air as they rattled from under his breath. No matter how embarrassing it had been for him a the time, he still couldn't help but laugh at it now that he looked back again. After giving themselves a few more moments to settle down, Shikaku held in his stomach tightly in order to ease the pain in his muscles from laughing so hard before letting out a deep breath of relief. The dark haired jounin then turned his attention to the young blond boy sitting from across the flames, noting that the youngster hadn't spoken a single word the entire evening. Deciding to break the ice, so to speak, the jounin spoke up.

"So... Naruto..." The boy almost visibly jumped as his name was called out, somewhat surprised at being addressed so directly. Normally, when people other than who he considered family were interested in him, it only ever meant he would get hurt in some way or another. The jounin seemed to notice his reaction, because he allowed for a brief pause before he continued.

"You... seem to be quite skilled in your abilities for someone so young. I never expected an academy student to be able to perform the water walking exercise so soon, never mind using elemental manipulation like you did just now. You must have had a good teacher..." Naruto just scratched the back of his head before taking a deep gulp, noting that all eyes present were now focused on him, waiting for an explanation.

"Well.... um... I actually had a few teachers you see. They all helped me become stronger so that I could protect myself properly..."

Naruto's voice seemed to trail off at the end of his explanation, almost becoming nothing more than a mere whisper that could barely be heard, but everyone managed to make out what the boy had said. After the few moments of uncomfortable silence that had followed, Ino finally spoke up and asked the question on everyone else's minds except for Iruka's and Ryuukimi's.

"What... are you protecting yourself from?"

Naruto's eyes seemed to wander to the floor as he heard the question, the look of pain becoming that much more evident on his face. Shikamaru just raised his eyebrows in surprise, wondering what would cause such a reaction while Chouji began to nervously chew on the end of his stick that was still in his grasp.

"It's so that I can protect myself from... from everyone else..." The boy whispered painfully.

The present adults simply frowned in dismay, sensing just how much weight the boy's words carried as well as the pain that was clearly evident hidden deep inside. Ino was about to respond again, but the sudden touch of a hand falling on her shoulder quickly alerted her to her father's shaking head, causing her to hold her tongue despite the overwhelming urge to learn more.

"But..." Everyone turned to face Naruto again as he started to whisper once more. "But what I really want to protect... are the ones that I love. That's why I really want to become stronger." After that, Naruto turned to look up at his father with a small frown.

"Dad... I think I'm going to go to sleep now. I'll see you in the morning." Iruka was saddened by the amount of anguish held in Naruto's voice as the young boy pulled himself up into his sleeping bag, with Ryuukimi plonking down firmly at his side. When the scarred chunin turned back to face the rest of his present company, he couldn't help but notice the pained expressions on the adults' faces as well as the curious stares of their younger copies. Shikaku himself seemed to be the most affected by what had happened, immediately regretting bringing up the boy's training.

"I'm sorry guys, it's hard to explain everything that he's feeling right now. I think it's better that we just give him some time to sleep it off."

--

A few hours had passed since Naruto had retired for the night and everyone else had also since embraced the unavoidable call of sleep. The entire clearing was now bathed in darkness, illuminated only by the gentle caress of soft moonlight as it gazed down from the sky above. Iruka began to shuffle in his own sleeping bag, having been unable to sleep properly after what had happened earlier that evening. He could see that something was troubling Naruto and he knew that the boy was trying to hide it from him, but he just didn't know what it was. It was for this reason that the chunin instructor, come father, now found himself sitting up from the ground in the middle of the night.

"Maybe I should try talking to him..." He mused to himself. Iruka turned to wake Naruto up from his own slumber, only to find the boy's sleeping bag already empty, with only Ryuukimi inhabiting the space that once held his son.

"Hmmm, so I guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep tonight." He mumbled quietly to himself. "Although I'm surprised he managed to sneak out without Ryuukimi noticing, I guess the stealth training with Anko really came in handy."

Iruka quickly pulled himself out from under his covers before walking away from the campsite, following his fatherly instincts as they guided his way through the darkened woods towards where he could feel his son. It wasn't the first time he had found Naruto wandering about in the middle of the night and he knew it wouldn't be the last. The boy would often sneak outside his bedroom at home to go and sit on the swinging bench that occupied the back of their garden whenever something was on his mind. It was during those times that Iruka was most concerned about his son's wellbeing.

After wandering for a few minutes, the young man eventually felt the faint signs of chakra being released in the nearby distance. Following the barely noticeable signature, he quickly made his way through the dense forest until he finally stumbled upon the same river that they had fished from earlier that day. There, right in the centre of the stream, was a glowing sphere of golden light, floating atop the water's surface, while gently illuminating the surrounding area with a warm haze that seemed to flow into the very world itself. The scant trails of ripples could clearly be seen coming from the centre of the glow, moving away from its source while reflecting the golden hew along the waters surface, causing it to shimmer in rings of wavering light.

It was the most beautiful sight Iruka had ever seen in his life. It was almost as though he had stumbled upon another world, a magical world filled with enchantment and wonder. His eyes slowly made there way to the centre of the light, only to see the young blond he had been searching for standing in the middle of the sphere, holding his hands spread out in front of him with open palms. After a few more seconds had passed, the light suddenly faded away, causing the surrounding area to be enveloped in darkness once more.

Iruka noticed Naruto's body suddenly begin to collapse towards the waters surface and quickly shunshined over to where he was standing, catching him before he fell into the stream. The boy panicked when he felt himself being held up by someone's arms, but then relaxed when he looked up to see his father's face.

"Oh... dad... it's you." The boy panted, no longer able to hold himself up any longer. "I thought you... might have been... someone else..." Iruka was about to say something in response, but paused when he caught sight of Naruto's hands.

Glowing faintly on his open palms, were the intricate trails of golden patterns, glowing warmly in the darkness, forming a strange looking seal as the met at the centre of his hands. The scarred chunin watched on with interest as the patterns slowly began to melt away, flowing towards their centre until they could no longer be seen at all.

_'I guess those are the seals that only react to his life force. They look the same as as the one's he had when he came back from his little solo adventure'._ After that, he took Naruto over to the shoreline and set him down into a sitting position, allowing the boy to regain his breath as they both looked out over the river.

"So... I see you're still trying to practice the new jutsu that you learned from your scroll..." Naruto just nodded his head quietly, still trying to recuperate from his fatigue.

"Yeah, but it's a lot... harder than I thought. That one still takes... a lot out of me whenever... I use it. I tried to practice it while I was on the water like Kurenai taught me so that I could increase my chakra control, but even that doesn't seem to work properly." Naruto then leaned over to the edge of the river, running his fingers along the surface of the gently flowing stream.

"I still haven't been able to do the other one properly either..." Iruka could hear the slight tinge of disappointment in Naruto's voice and quickly placed his arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling him in closer until he was right up to his side.

"Don't worry kiddo, I'm sure you'll get it sooner or later, it's just a matter of time, that's all." Naruto just smiled gently as he heard the chunin's words, digging his head into the man's side, allowing himself the comfort of his warmth. No matter how down he was or how bad he felt, he could always count on his father to be there for him. He was always there to comfort him and to hold him warmly in his arms, even when the rest of the world turned a blind eye to his pain.

"Thanks dad..." The two continued to sit their for a few minutes, neither one wanting to go back to the encampment just yet. It was enough to just be in one another's arms, it was all they needed. As Naruto's hands continued to trail across the edge of the river, Iruka notice the golden hew in his eyes reflecting off the waters surface. The young boy just continued to stare blankly at the dark stream in front of him, his gaze never once wavering from their view. The scarred chunin could only wonder what he was seeing through those eyes.

"So Naruto... what's it like?" Naruto looked up to his father with a questioning stare. "I mean... what does it look like, when you look a the world with those eyes." The young boy just smiled warmly, before looking back down again, lost in the vibrant images of what he was seeing.

"It's... beautiful. It's like the whole world just comes to life right in front of you. Everything is so much warmer and more colourful... even the river itself looks alive. It's like I can see its spirit flowing through the water, just like everything else I look at." Naruto then set his head down on Iruka's lap before gently closing his eyes. The young boy curled up tightly in the man's arms while Iruka's fingers stroked through his hair in a soothing manner. It felt warm when his father held him like that, it felt peaceful.

"Even.... even we can be just as beautiful as well if we try" the young boy whispered silently, causing his father to flinch. "Even we can light up the world and fill it with happiness. I know that.... because I could see it when I looked into _her_ eyes."

At that very moment, the memories of the young girl that he had saved in the hospital began to flash through Naruto's mind as he spoke, causing his lips to curl up into a warm smile. She had the most beautiful soul he had ever seen in his life and the warmth of her eyes would forever hold a place in his heart. They were the eyes that gave him strength, they were eyes that were filled with love and hope, not just for her but for him as well.

Iruka just sat there quietly in the silence that followed, not knowing what to say or how to respond. After a few moments he could feel Naruto's breathing lessen until it was a steady slow rhythm, signifying that he was now asleep. The young man just continued to stroke through his son's hair, his eyes never once leaving the curled up form of the boy lying in his arms, the special child that had touched his heart and allowed him to gain the love of a family again.

'_Naruto, I wish I could see what you see. To be able to see the world for what it truly is, to see past all the illusions and walls, past all the lies, hatred and anger... and.... sadness. You're the only one who can truly see the pain of those around you and you're also the only one who can see the same hope needed to heal those wounds..... the wounds of a person's soul. I just.... I just wish the rest of the world could see just how special you really are. You're a gift to this world and if I was able to see it, I'm know that your soul is the one that shines brighter than the rest of them.'_

After allowing himself a few minutes to just relax under the soft glow of moonlight, the chunin finally picked his sleeping son up off the ground and made his way back to the camp with the bundle in his arms. He never once noticing the numerous eyes that watched them carefully from the darkness as they made there way back to the clearing. Once the two were out of view, a soft voice whispered out from the shadows.

"It seems we missed our chance to kill him now. I told you we should have attacked while he was still alone."

"No..." Another voice responded sharply. "We still don't know what jutsu that kid was using right now. It would have been reckless to just rush in without any plan or forethought, although I'd expect nothing less from a group of hired mercenaries."

A cold sneer whispered in response, carrying across the breeze as a group of figures stepped out from the bushes that had hidden their shadowy forms, looking back towards the area of their target.

"You're one of us if I remember correctly, but even still you have a point. We'll wait until the moment is right and when that time comes, then we will strike without mercy or restraint. The boy will die before he ever sees the walls of Konoha again, along with anyone unfortunate to get in our way."

--

As the early morning sunlight slowly crept into the small clearing, the scant sound of shuffling began to fill the air as tired bodies slowly rose from their slumber. The small eyes of a certain young boy began to pry themselves open in the ensuing noise that followed, focussing their blurred vision until the rest of the world finally came back into view.

"Is it... morning already...?" Naruto was about to sit up from the floor, when he noticed a small weight pressing against his body, pinning it firmly in place. The young boy looked down to see what it was that held him down, only to notice Ryuukimi's sleeping form lying on top of him with his wings spread out over his body, almost as if to protect him from harm.

"He's been there the whole night you know..." Naruto turned to face the voice that addressed him, to see Iruka's smiling face approaching in his direction. The young man just giggled when he saw the confusion on his son's expression, although it didn't help that the boy also looked like he had just walked into a hurricane with the way his hair stood on end like that.

"After I carried you back last night, I found him pacing around your sleeping bag in a complete state of panic. He was so worried that someone had taken you away that he was almost ready to tear the whole forest apart just to find you. Needless to say, since then he wouldn't move from that spot, just so he could make sure you didn't go missing again." Naruto looked back down to the small creature sleeping on top of him, before gently stroking the top of the dragon's head, gaining an incoherent mumble as he did.

"Yeah... he's a really good friend. I'm glad he's here with me." Iruka just nodded his head in understanding. He knew the dragon was extremely protective over Naruto, in fact just as much as he was. He also knew that the small creature was a lot more powerful than he appeared to those that didn't know him and he felt sorry for the poor soul that dared to try and harm his charge.

After releasing a tired yawn, the young boy pushed himself off the floor again, causing Ryuukimi to slide down his body and into his lap. The young creature's eyes quickly popped open in panic from the sudden movement but he relaxed again when he saw Naruto smiling down at him with a lazy expression.

"Morning buddy." The boy mumbled sleepily, while stretching his arms into the air.

"Eh... Morning Naruto-chan..." The dragon responded groggily.

After sharing their tired greetings, the two youngsters wearily got out of their bed for the night and helped Iruka clear up their belongings, packing them up again in order to get on the move once more. The trail that they were following was still quite long ahead of them and they still had a reasonable distance to cover for the day. Once the entire group was ready to move, Iruka lead them out of the clearing once more and back onto their path.

After about and hour had passed, they eventually found themselves walking along a long path that seemed to follow around the side of a small mountain, cutting straight through the forest that bordered Konoha. The ground itself had been worn away from hundreds of years of erosion and whether effects, creating a carved out trail through the mountainside that was easy to traverse, even for the younger half of the group. Now that they were out of the protective shade of the trees, the sun bore down on all of them with little mercy. Many of the travelers resorted to wiping their brows on a regular basis, if only to try and remove the sweat that plagued them in the scorching heat, while others tried to use whatever they could for shade.

It was at times like this that Naruto appreciated his '_headgear'_ more than any other, with the dragon's wings providing more than enough shelter to keep him cool and protected from the harsh burning rays. Ryuukimi himself didn't seem to mind the heat at all, in fact he almost looked comfortable in it, and heaven only knows that dragons never sweat either. There was also another technique that the young boy used to keep himself cool in the overwhelming heat and that was to create a small current of air to flow around his body, emanating just off the edge of his skin. Unfortunately, it still took him quite a bit of concentration to maintain such a flow of air, but he knew that the more he practiced the better he would get at it until it eventually became second nature.

As the small group made their way further into nature, Naruto noticed the curious glances coming from the ones he had spent with the previous night with. Ino would often look back at him with a confused expression on her face, as if she were lost in thought about something, before turning forward again soon afterwards. He received similar reactions from Sakura and chouji as well whenever they would spare him a glance and he couldn't help but frown in confusion. Even Shikamaru would take the time to quickly glance back at him, before mumbling something incoherent under his breath.

"Why are they all looking at back me all the time? Do I have something on my face?" Naruto whispered softly, only loud enough for Ryuukimi to hear. The small dragon had also noticed the curious expressions on the faces of their young observers, but he already knew what the cause probable was.

"You mean other than the whiskers?" He retorted jokingly. Naruto just pouted slightly, causing Ryuukimi to smirk at the reaction. "Well maybe it's about what happened last night. I mean you did mention the fact that there were people after you, even if it was indirectly. They might just be curious about what happened, or maybe they're afraid you might get hurt." Naruto just grunted at the implications of what his small companion was saying, scowling as he did.

"Yeah right, as if they'd care what happened to me. They never cared when I was hurt before. They never cared when I came into class with blood on my clothes and bruises on my face..." Ryuukimi felt his friend pause for a brief moment, his voice trailing off as he mentioned the cruelty of his past caretakers, before continuing again.

"They... they never cared... when I had been beaten within... an inch of my life the night before. They always thought I was just getting myself into trouble all the time, that I was the one who had done something wrong and was punished fairly. They just... laughed... at me like it was some kind of joke. None of them ever tried to see if I was alright."

The young dragon just let out another anxious huff, immediately realizing that this was not the best train of thought for his friend to be following at the moment. The pain he felt at the time was definitely not healthy, nor were the implications of the boy's words. He had only ever heard about what Naruto had been through at his orphanage during their heart to heart talks together, but the emotions he felt right now gave him some idea as to what unimaginable pain the boy must have endured to make him feel this way. It wasn't the beatings or the physical wounds that hurt the most though. What hurt the most was the fact that no-one ever cared enough to offer a loving hand to help pick him back up again.

He had no friends to stand by his side in order to support him during his moments of pain and weakness. There was no-one to comfort him, or to hold him in their arms while he was crying while telling him everything would be alright. No.... all his tears would be shed alone, with only the darkness to see them falling from his eyes. The only thing he could rely on, the only thing that gave him strength before Iruka had eventually come into his life and saved him, were the dreams of a better future to see him through the darkness, dreams that were often forced to endure the hateful attacks on his soul by those who would never understand his pain.

"I'm sorry Naruto-chan." Ryuukimi finally responded, somewhat glumly. "I know it must be hard to believe that they could ever care about you, especially after what's happened, but not everyone is that bad. Maybe they can change into better people."

Naruto just sunk his head despondently, wondering if there was any truth to the dragon's words. He wanted to believe them, he wanted to know that he could be accepted by those around him, but every time he thought about it, the memories of his terrible past came flooding back to haunt him. He was just becoming so tired of trying to get people to accept him all the time only to have them hurt him in the process. No matter what he did to gain their approval, he only ever received their cruelty instead, even when he tried to save the life of a young girl. Demon... monster... that was all they ever saw in him, but he knew he was more than that. He knew he deserved to be loved just as much as anyone else. The young dragon noticed his friends lack of response and spoke once more, trying to break the icy silence that had washed over them.

"Naruto-chan, maybe you should just give them the chance to get to know you. Maybe if they see what you've been through, they might understand more. Don't give up just yet." Naruto took a moment to think about what his friend was offering, wondering if he could ever achieve what was being proposed, after all, it wasn't like he tried to avoid them before. They just never returned his attempts to befriend them.

After a few more moments of silence followed, a sudden commotion alerted the two youngsters to a growing development in front of them. Naruto looked up as he heard the brief snickers of a certain trio of male shinobi as they watched a forth slowly approach the two Uchiha brothers that were walking slightly further ahead in the group. Shikaku, Choza and Inoichi couldn't help but laugh as they watched one Kioshi Haruno walk up along side Sasuke and Itachi, with his daughter, Sakura, being too busy talking to Ino to even notice what was happening with her father.

"This can't be good..." Naruto mumbled quietly to himself, almost instantly forgetting the conversation that he had just been involved in.

On top of his head, Ryuukimi couldn't help but giggle softly under his breath at what he was seeing. He had heard all about the Uchiha clan and about the class fangirls that flocked to worship the very ground they walked on. He also knew that the parents of such girls, especially their fathers, were not always too happy about the blatant displays of affection. After all, what father could bear to so their daughter's heart stolen away by the affections for another man, or boy in this case. Everyone who noticed, watched on with a keen interest as the scene unfolded right before their eyes.

"So, you must be this _'Sasuke Uchiha'_ that my daughter keeps on blabbering on about all the time" Kioshi growled, with a slight hint of venom in his words.

The said boy just looked over to the man with a curious glance while Itachi just slapped his forehead in disbelief. The older Uchiha already knew what was coming from his own past experience, although he couldn't help the small grin that appeared on the corner of his lips. He would definitely enjoy this. Further behind the unfolding scene, the older InoShikaCho trio were trying their best not to collapse on the spot.

"Yeah... what of it?" Sasuke eventually replied nonchalantly, using the same strategy he always used to get away from the raging mass of hormones that made up his endless list of fangirls. This only caused the older man to fume even more at the seemingly complete lack of respect.

"Look here kid! I will not have some little punk trying to steal my daughter's innocent heart. She's too young and naive to be in love with anyone, much less with a kid who hasn't even gone through puberty yet!!!!"

By now, the three men watching were basically crawling on the floor in laughter, alerting the two unknowing girls besides them to the events taking place nearby. Sasuke himself just stared blankly at the source of the verbal assault, completely flabbergasted by what he was hearing. If Naruto could have taken a picture right there, he would have done so without a moment's pause. After all, it wasn't everyday you got to see the normally calm and collected Uchiha so stunned, or to see three grown men crying so much even though they were tears of laughter.

"Um... I think you've made a mistake..." Sasuke drabbled nervously. "I haven't actually done anything..."

"Bullshit!!!!' Kioshi cut him off. "You Uchiha are all the same!!!! Thinking you deserve everyone's attention when your just...."

"**DAD!!!!!"**

Kioshi quickly turned around to see a fuming Sakura walking over to his direction, having now noticed the indignant assault on the love of her life, while cracking her knuckles in the palm of her hand and causing the older man to cringe like a child about to be scolded. Naruto just giggled nervously as he watched the pink haired girl grab her father by the hand before dragging him off to the side of the path, where she proceeded to give him a piece of both of her collective minds. Sasuke could only watch with a nervous twitch in his eyes as the man was punished by his daughter's righteous fury.

"Man.... and I thought I had it rough when it came to girls. He actually has to live with her." Itachi just walked over to where his younger brother stood in a daze, placing his hand gently on the boy's shoulder.

"It all comes with being an Uchiha... foolish little brother..." The older of the two mumbled while shaking his head as his head as the memories of his own fangirl experiences flashed through his mind. After that, he poked Sasuke on his forehead to force him out of his stupor, causing the boy to rub his temples angrily.

"Dammit Itachi!!!!!! If I get permanent brain damage, it's all your fault you know!!!!!!!" Itachi just waved his hand dismissively as he continued to make his way forward down the path, while hiding the smirk plastered across his face. He knew Sasuke only used his actual name when he was pissed off. Sometimes it was just way to easy to upset his little brother.

"It's Itachi-_niichan_ to you, or just _nii-chan_..." He sneered, emphasizing the title for further effect. "Besides, you'd actually need a brain for that kind of damage to be of concern. Now lets get going before the rest of them decide to try their luck as well." This only caused the fuming boy to scowl even more, until the thoughts of the remaining overprotective fathers paying him a visit flashed through his mind.

"Whatever _nii-chan!_" He then quickly ran up to his brother's side as the two carried on about their business, with Sasuke nervously checking over his shoulder from time to time just to make sure he was still safe.

Not too far back, Sikaku, Choza and Inoichi were rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter at having witnessed the scene. It had gone even better then they could have possibly hoped to see or could ever hope to see again, especially with Sakura's added dramatic reaction thrown into the fray. After a few moments of humorous outbursts and rolling tears, the three eventually recovered from their splitting sides and began to make their way forward again.

"Well..." Choza began, still holding his sides as they seethed in pain. "... if I had known that I would be laughing so much on this trip, I would have opted to go sooner." Shikaku couldn't help but nod his head in agreement. What he had assumed would be a boring field trip was quickly turning out to be the best time he had ever had in his life. Not to mention the endless amounts of surprises he had witnessed in so short a time, most of them coming from a certain young blond.

Speaking of whom, Naruto and Ryuukimi were both also recovering from their own tears of laughter. The young boy had never seen Sasuke so shocked in al his life and it was something that he would always remember for years to come. He would definitely pay to see that again, hell he'd even give up ramen for a week just to replay what had happened. After finally calming down, the young boy looked up to his friend with a newfound smile, causing the young dragon to warm at the sight.

"Maybe you're right after all Ryuukimi-chan..." he giggled, before looking forward again. "Maybe people aren't so bad after all. Maybe there's still a chance..." Ryuukimi just nodded his head in agreement, his own doubts also being eased as well, although his friend couldn't see the reaction. He was just glad to feel the boy cheering up again without his own efforts being necessary to help.

The small group of Konoha citizens continued along their journey into the great unknown, with parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends and family all by their sides. Little did they know of the hidden danger waiting in the depths of the shadows for the right moments to strike or the difficulties they would soon have to face. But the hearts of a group of would be shinobi would soon learn just what it means to truly survive.

There souls would soon be tested in a trial by fire.

--

Well, that's it for this chapter. More exciting scenarios begin on the next chapter! I'd also like to say thanks once again to my new Beta Reader **Kiiroi Senko**, who's efforts are appreciated.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	27. Chapter 27 A Test of Strength

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Greetings once again to all of my readers! Sorry that this chapter took a bit longer than usual to update, but I was very busy this week. Anyway, here it is without any further delay.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 27 - A Test of Strength**

Dawn came quickly on the third day of traveling for the young group of academy students and with it came the excitement and wonder of traversing through the wilderness that surrounded their village. The previous night had been one of the most eventful yet and it saw the youngsters learning how to set up their own traps and securing their position from enemy raids or wild animals. It was one of the more exciting exercises they had undertaken on the trip so far and also one of the most hilarious to witness.

Seeing parents being caught in their own children's trap holes, or accidently toppling over a tripwire before precariously dogging a hail of kunai and shuriken, was something that had everyone either nervously on edge, or simply rolling on the floor with laughter, as was the case with a certain trio of fathers. It was even worse when you knew that these were devices created by mischievous pre-teens and their over enthusiastic parents, especially when it came to the male half of the group. Naruto could swear that he heard at least five explosive tags going off that night and the way Ryuukimi kept looking around as if to search for a certain psychotic jounin's inevitable flashy entrance only confirmed his observations.

Heaven help the poor soul that may have been unlucky enough to wander into their camp that night. Even the Hokage himself would hesitate to undertake such a daunting task, especially considering the mischievous and inexperienced minds of some of the children present.

Naruto himself however, much to the growing relief of a concerned Iruka, didn't have too much trouble with his own trap setting, mostly because of his unusual training exercises he underwent with Anko. The psychotic woman practically adored anything that had anything to do with either explosives or just pointy objects in general, both of which were consistent variables in the said field. Add to that her love of all things surprising and you've got yourself an expert when it comes to catching your enemies with their pants down.

Of course, Naruto had to learn how to make them the hard way and that usually involved being caught by the very traps he was taught to create, which was often a painful endeavor in itself. This did, however, help him understand what qualities make for a good ambush and it also helped him to identify when he was walking into someone else's trap as well. Of course, Iruka also gave him a few hints and tips to help as well, which Naruto absorbed like a dehydrated sponge. No matter how much he learned or how strong he grew, he would always value his father's words and opinions like they were gold. He would always appreciate the time the man took to help him where most others wouldn't even bother to care.

Unfortunately, the young boy didn't get to spend much time with his other best friend, Hinata, mostly because she was expected to stay with her father most of the time. They would talk a little every now and again when the opportunity presented itself, but those moments were rare at best. What bothered Naruto the most, however, was how Hiashi would often take a moment to briefly stare him from time to time and he was becoming curious as to why the Hyuuga clan head found him so interesting. He just hoped it wasn't for any bad reasons.

Now the group was once again on the move, traveling through the more mountainous area of the fire country that had them enjoying breathtaking views of the vast valleys that ran below them. The uneven and rocky terrain, coupled with the endless amount of slopes and cliff edges, made quite the hiking trail for the youngsters. It was a very tiresome exercise to say the least, which was made evident by the clear exhaustion plastered on most of the visible faces that accompanied the young blond and his energetic counterpart.

Naruto himself, however, was too lost in the endless beauty that met his eyes to even register the fatigue that began to strain his legs. Ryuukimi had resigned to basking in the warm sunlight that touched against his small body and glistened against his bronze wings, enjoying the relaxing sensation accompanied it as well as the soft pillow of blond tuffs that made up Naruto's hair. It was enough to make one fall asleep without much resistance, although Ryuukimi would never dare to let himself dose off with the present company.

Many of the adults, and even some of the more malicious children, had since taken to the nasty habit of making Naruto the object of their convicting stares and it was something that the young dragon riding him didn't fail to notice. He hated seeing those eyes staring over to his friend, holding the young boy they fell upon with so much malice and ill intent. They were eyes that threatened the child's wellbeing with promises of cruelty and pain and Ryuukimi seethed inside knowing just how much the boy had been hurt by some of them already. He knew that there were those present that had actually physically and mentally harmed his companion at one point or another, sometimes even on multiple occasions, and he would not stand to see him being hurt again as long as he was there to stop it.

--

"Alright everyone, it's time for a breather!"

After a few more hours of traveling had passed, Iruka eventually called the group to a stop for a break, allowing everyone the chance to stretch out their aching muscles and rejuvenate their tired bodies. Ino and Sakura both plonked onto the nearest rock with heavy sighs of relief, both completely exhausted by their travels.

"Man, why did it have to be so hot?" Sakura grumbled, looking up to the source of her anguished sweating with a heavy frown.

"You'd think that we'd do something like this during the cooler seasons rather than during such a warm time of the year." Ino just nodded her head in agreement while wiping her brow with a handkerchief she brought along. Although the two didn't always agree on much, this was one of those things that were part of the exception and not the rule.

Both of their fathers just shook their heads tiredly, something that was becoming a recurring habit amongst the two men. Having daughters that were more interested in boys and fashion, then they were about their own shinobi careers was definitely tiresome and somewhat troubling as well.

"Missions don't come and go according to seasons you know." Inoichi began to lecture, gaining the two girls' attention as he spoke. "Sometimes you'll have to endure harsh weather conditions, ranging from extreme heat waves to freezing blizzards. It is something you will have to come to expect as ninja if you want to succeed in this profession." The man then looked up with a growing smile as he caught sight of a certain young blond running up to their location with a small winged creature bouncing up and down on top of his head.

"Besides..." The man grinned, as the enthusiastic bundle of energy scurried past the surprised onlookers. "... it looks like Naruto is doing just fine as it is. Maybe you two should get some pointers from him."

The two girls just gawked as they watched the said boy running up to Iruka's location before bouncing on his feet as he landed next to the man's side. He looked as though he hadn't even walked more than a few steps all day and was still ready to traverse the rest of the fire country.

"How can he still be so hyperactive after traveling for so long?" Ino gaped. "I mean, it's like he's got unlimited energy or something!!!" Kioshi himself just shared in the view of their pint-sized subject while stifling a grin of his own. He had heard rumors about the boy's incredible stamina levels, but after seeing such an amazing display of energy from someone so small, he couldn't help but mentally laugh.

It was rather humorous to see the smallest kid in the class outperforming everyone else present, including some of the more hardened veteran shinobi that accompanied them, while still having the energy to jump excitedly in the presence of his father. However, as he continued to watch the scene unfold, his grin slowly fell away once more. The older Haruno found himself becoming somewhat jealous of the scarred chunin that the young boy called 'dad'.

He could see that Iruka meant the world to Naruto and it was that show of affection between the two that made him feel a bit more than neglected by his own daughter. Kids at their age, nowadays, just didn't seem to show so much interest in their parents any more, even to the point of taking them for granted, but Naruto acted as though his father was the most important part of his life. Kioshi could also see the amount of love that the boy's eyes held within them every time he was near the academy teacher and it made the bond they shared that much more apparent, especially when the man knelt down and enveloped his son in a warm hug.

"So, how are you enjoying the trip so far?" Iruka smiled as he pulled out of the newly formed embrace. Naruto just beamed a massive grin in return, causing the man's heart to swell up inside.

"It's been really great dad! Everything here is so awesome!!! It's like a completely different world!!!" Iruka was happy to hear the excitement in his son's voice, but quickly grew concerned when the boy's expression suddenly dropped soon afterwards. The voice that followed was a lot quieter than the one he had just heard.

"I just... I wish I could spend more time with you though..." he continued to mumble in a near whisper.

The scarred chunin simply frowned in response, feeling more than a bit guilty about not being there for his own son during such an important part of his life. The two of them didn't get to spend much time together because of his own responsibilities to the rest of the class and the academy and they were only really able to do so during the evenings when they made camp. Iruka quickly placed his arm on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it gently, gaining his son's eyes as he did.

"I'm really sorry Naruto, I promise that I'll make it up to you. When we get back to the village, we'll have our own little camping trip this weekend, just you and me. What do you say?" Naruto immediately lit up after hearing that, much to Iruka's relief. The boy's eyes instantly filled with life once more and his enthusiasm reignited.

"Alright dad! That would be great! Then we can really be together!" He beamed once more.

"Hey, so what are we gonna eat for lunch?" Ryuukimi interrupted them, with a growling announcement from his stomach." Both of the witnesses just laughed at the dragon's expense, causing him to pout in a humorous fashion.

"I'm not sure. Why don't you two go and see if you can find something while I check with the rest of the families to see how they're holding up." Naruto and Ryuukimi both nodded their heads before heading of once more, leaving Iruka to his own devices. The young man watched as his son entered the nearby woods, trusting his bronze companion to protect him when he couldn't be there by his side.

Not too far from the scarred chunin, Tsume Inuzuka was also watching as the young boy disappeared from view, traveling in the same direction her own son had just let for. She quickly turned her attention to the faithful companion lying at her side, who had also noticed the blond's advance.

"Kuromaru, I want you to go into the woods and keep an eye on things for me. If anything happens, I want you to inform me at once. You know how Kiba can be sometimes." The faithful ninken nodded his head obediently and then rushed off into the trees, with only a deep, low bark to signify any form of verbal response.

--

As Naruto slowly made his way through the woods, searching for any berries or plants that could possibly be eaten, Ryuukimi continued to keep a sharp eye out for any danger.

"Man!!! Why can't we eat something more meaty?" The young dragon whined, already dreading the thought of eating anything to do with vegetation. Naruto just looked up to his friend with a knowing smirk plastered on his face.

"We can't eat fish and rabbit all the time you know. Dad says that a healthy diet is important for a shinobi to grow stronger." Ryuukimi just gagged at the thought of _'healthy_' food.

"Yuugghhh!!!!! That stuff is just nasty!!!! I'm a dragon for crying out load!!! I'm strictly carnivorous!!!!" Naruto just looked down again while shaking his head with a heavy sigh.

"Alright already, I'll see what I can find, but I won't promise you anything." He then activated his Tenraigan and began to search the area for any signs of moving life, while blocking out the spiritual signatures of all the plant life in the area. It was the easiest way for him to single out any other life forms in the area without getting confused between the two and it often came in handy for scouting out his terrain.

After a few moments of scanning the forest, a sudden snapping sound alerted the two youngsters to an approaching figure, causing them two turn to the source of the noise. Naruto quickly deactivated his doujutsu to hide it away from prying eyes and waited nervously for their follower to show itself. After a few seconds had passed, Kiba walked into view, appearing out of the nearby trees with Akamaru riding on his head. The small dog yapped as he caught sight of their company, causing his companion to turn his attention.

"Oh, so it looks like the class _**dobe**_ is trying to find food as well." He smirked confidently, gaining a harsh glare from Ryuukimi. Naruto's face just remained unchanging, almost as though he weren't affected by the taunts, even though they really hurt him deep inside.

"Maybe you two should step aside and let some real hunters get to work, right Akamaru? We wouldn't want the midget to get hurt by the feral bunnies." Ryuukimi was about to respond, until Naruto quickly raised his hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about it buddy, he's just trying to show off, just like always." Naruto then turned his attention back to the young Inuzuka with a stern expression, but one that did little to hide his obvious discomfort.

"Look Kiba, I don't want any trouble right now, alright? So we'll just go our separate way and you can go yours. I just want to be left alone." The young blond then turned on his heels and began to make his way further into the woods, when a mocking voice called out once more from behind.

"Yeah, I figured as much. I'd run away as well if I had a loser of a father like Iruka-sensei teaching me everything I know about protecting myself. I mean who could love a guy like that? I bet it must suck having a teacher as a father." Naruto paused in his tracks as the painful words struck at his core, causing his body to tense up painfully. Ryuukimi immediately noticed his reaction and began to growl in warning, causing Akamaru to wine a little.

"Don't talk about my dad like that..." the blond murmured, barely loud enough to hear. Kiba noticed that his insult had hit a cord and continued with his string of taunts.

"Oh, what's the matter, did I hurt little Naruto-kun? Does he want to go and cry to daddy now? Please... I bet he doesn't even love you. He probably just felt sorry for you because you were nothing more than a useless little orphan..."

**"****WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW!?!?!?!"** Naruto cut him off sharply, causing the young Inuzuka to flinch slightly at the sudden outburst.

"Stop talking about me like you know who I am!!!! You have no idea what I've been through!!!! You have no idea how much it hurts to have no-one that loves you, to have no-one that even cares about you at all!!! Dad is the only person who ever saved me from that pain and I won't have you talking about him like he's trash!!!!!"

Naruto's body began to quiver violently as his eyes dragged themselves onto the ground, while flashing in the golden tinge that signified his doujutsu. He was afraid to look up, afraid of what might happen if he accidentally locked into Kiba's eyes. Ryuukimi tried desperately to calm his friend down, knowing that this situation was quickly becoming dangerous for everyone present.

"It's alright Naruto-chan, you don't have to listen to him. He doesn't know anything about you, so just relax and lets carry on with what we were doing, alright?" Naruto took a brief moment to collect himself and then allowed for a deep, wavering breath, before releasing his tension through a heavy sigh. His eyes slowly began to return to normal once more before he looked up to meet Kiba's gaze, allowing his friends emotions to help calm him down..

"I've had enough of this now. I'm going..." Naruto then turned to leave again this time ignoring the strange glare that the Inuzuka was sending him.

"What, are you running away again?" Kiba snorted, raising his chin in arrogance. Ryuukimi just glared back at him from the top of Naruto's shoulders, releasing a small amount of killing intent as he did.

"You're such a dog brain, you know that? He's not running away, he's trying to stop himself from hurting you. He doesn't like to see people get hurt because of..." The small dragon quickly held his tongue before mentioning Naruto's eyes, while Kiba just choked a mock laugh.

"Yeah right, as if he could do anything to hurt me! I bet he couldn't even cause a single hair to drop from my head, not that his silly looking _'headgear'_ could do any better." Ryuukimi just growled at the insulting statement and Naruto knew that the dragon wouldn't take things lying down any more, regardless of any protest.

"Well, at least I'm better than the flea-ridden fur ball you've got riding on your head!!!! I hope your mommy gives you a nice shampoo when you get back home. We wouldn't want you to spread your little eight legged friends to the rest of the academy now would we.... DOG BREATH?!?"

Naruto winced slightly at the harsh exchange of words, having been unable to exit the small clearing yet. He knew what was coming next and he couldn't help but mentally curse his failing luck. That was the last straw for the easily tempered Inuzuka and he now found himself seething with anger.

"That's it!!! It's time to take out the trash!!!!!" The feral Kiba quickly charged forward in a rushed attack, gaining an awkward yap from his small companion, almost as if he didn't approve of his actions.

"Well here we go...." Ryuukimi sighed. "... Finally..."

Just as the dark haired boy was about to strike with an extended claw, Naruto quickly evaded his attack, stepping out of the way without even looking at his opponent's advance. Kiba stumbled forward from the loss of balance and rolled along the ground before rising up to face the other boy again, who was now paying full attention to the battle.

"What the hell was that?" The youngster growled furiously. "You weren't even looking at me..." Naruto just shrugged his shoulders before settling into his taijutsu stance, preparing for any follow up attacks that would surely follow.

"Well maybe if you didn't make so much noise during you attack, you might have actually caught me by surprise." The boy replied in an _'isn't it obvious'_ expression. Ryuukimi just chuckled when he heard that, causing their opponent to seethe even more.

"That's it!!!!" Kiba quickly charged forward once more, before delivering a series of swipes towards his smaller opponent with an increasing momentum, but none of his attacks hit their mark. Naruto simply dodged every single strike without even breaking a sweat, causing his opponent to redouble his efforts even more as he tried desperately to land a blow. Kiba quickly followed the momentum of one of his missed strikes and went into a role before coming up into a rising backwards spin kick.

_'Now I've got him!'_ He thought to himself, a confident smirk appearing on his face, but the boy was sorely surprised when a quickly raised arm from his younger opponent blocked his impending blow. _'Damn... I thought I had him for sure!'_

Kiba then dropped back onto the ground again and delivered another forward right hook, targeting the Naruto's exposed chest with his dangerous claws, but the young Inuzuka once again found his attack being deflected to the side by the gentle tap of a quickly moving palm, causing him to lose his balance once more before stumbling onto the ground.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!! Why can't I hit you!?!?!?" Kiba growled angrily as he picked himself up off the floor again. Naruto just relaxed his guard once more before allowing his hands to fall to his sides. It didn't look like his opponent was going to attack again any time soon and it was clearly evident that the older boy was now getting tired.

"It's my taijutsu style..." he finally responded, gaining Kiba's attention. "... It concentrates on defence more than attack, while using my opponent's own momentum and speed against them. The only thing you're succeeding in doing is tiring yourself out. Look, I really don't want to fight with you, so I'm just gonna get going now." Naruto then turned around again and began to make his way out of the clearing for the third time... and hopefully the last, but things never seemed to go his way that often and this was just one of those situations.

"Don't turn your back on me dobe!!! I'm not done yet!!!!!" Kiba launched himself off the ground and charged forward for a final assault, using the last of his energy to bring himself to his opponent's location. Naruto quickly turned to face the danger before settling into his taijutsu stance once more as the distance between them came to a close.

"You just won't leave me alone until you've made sure you hurt me... will you?" He growled angrily. "You just have to prove that you're stronger, that you're superior to the _'stupid little orphan'_, just like the rest of the village always did, even if it means beating me to a bloody pulp when I've done nothing wrong..."

Kiba flinched slightly in his charge as he heard the blond's painful words reaching out to him, but even still his legs continued to bring him forward in his momentum, answering only to his flaring emotions. Just before the two clashed once again, a sudden call came from the trees above, signifying the approach of a new contender.

**"****Tsuuga!!!"**

Both boys looked up just in time to see a spinning vortex make its way down to their location, before crashing into the ground between them. Naruto was flung into the air from the force of the impact while Ryuukimi was launched off of his shoulders and into the nearby bushes.

**"****Ryuukimi!!!!"** The young blond then landed with his back against a nearby tree, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

"Nggghhh!!!!! What... what the hell was that???" Naruto looked up with a painful cringe as he struggled to catch his breath, only to see a large dog that looked similar to a wolf standing a few feet away from him, brandishing a black patch over one of his eyes.

"I'm sorry for arriving so late young master Kiba, but your mother asked me to watch over you in case there was any trouble. It is a good thing I managed to get here before this... _thing_... managed to hurt you." Kiba just took a deep gulp as the ninken looked back at him, before refocusing his only visible eye back onto his new prey with a hardened glare.

"I will take care of this little problem right now..." The ninken then charged forward towards Naruto, who was now sitting with his back against the tree and his knees huddled up against his chest defensively. He knew that he would not be able to stand in time to meet the threat, so instead his survival instincts took over and forced him to fall back onto his old habits.

"No wait Kuromaru, there's no need to do that!" Kiba shouted out in defiance, but his cries fell on deaf ears.

**"****Tsuuga!!!!"** Kuromaru once again burst into a swirling vortex of fangs and claws as he span towards the now defenseless boy in front of him, while Naruto simply close his eyes in order to prepare for the impending blow that would soon follow. Kiba could only watch on in horror as the small maelstrom landed on its target, kicking up a plume of dust and debris as it slammed into the ground that Naruto occupied.

"No... I didn't want this..." Kiba murmured as his body began to tense in shock. "I just wanted to... I just..."

The young Inuzuka watched as the plume of dust slowly began to clear, his mind already fearing the worst, but what he saw emerging from the debris surprised him. There, right in front of Kuromaru, blocking the ninken's assault, were two bronze wings folded over one another. Both had enveloped the young boy behind them in a protective shield, halting the attack that would have otherwise torn him apart.

"What is this?" Kuromaru growled. "These wings are as hard as steel!" Just then, the two wings burst open in a sudden motion of power, sending the large dog flying through the air before landing on the ground a few feet away, while revealing the harsh glare of Ryuukimi's narrowed eyes as the came into view. Naruto just looked to his friend with a deep sigh of relief.

"T... thanks... buddy. I t... thought I was gone f... for good." The young boy stammered, panic now gripping his voice.

He didn't want this to happen, he just wanted to find some food, that's all. Why couldn't he just be left in peace? The small dragon that sat on top of him just nodded his head in response, never once letting his eyes leave their attacker. The creature released a small puff of smoke from his flaring nostrils before jumping off of Naruto's chest and onto the ground, standing between his friend and the ninken that would do him harm.

"So, the winged lizard can fight after all..." Kuromaru sneered. "Or was it a dragon? Either way, I would run away if I were you, little one. You're way out of your league here if you wish to fight with me." Ryuukimi just snarled in response.

"As if I would let you have your way!!! If you even dare to try and so much as come near Naruto again.... **I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!****"** Kuromaru growled angrily at the defiance, but the killing intent coming off the small dragon was enough to even cause him to become somewhat nervous.

"Very well then, let's see you try." The ninken then charged forward once more while Ryuukimi spread his wings out in preparation of the coming battle, but before either could attack, another voice entered the fray.

"That's enough Kuromaru!!!!" The said dog quickly halted in his tracks, sliding to a stop just in front of the small dragon standing in his path. Everyone watched as a dark haired woman jumped down from the nearby trees and into the clearing.

"I told you to watch what was going on, not to engage anyone on your own!" Kuromaru quickly turned to face the commanding voice with an apologetic bow.

"I am sorry Tsume, but I arrived just in time to find this boy attacking your son. I only acted to defend young master Kiba from harm." Tsume quickly turned her head to the said blond with a threatening glare, her eyes turning an icy cold as they held him in her gaze.

"Is that so...?"

"No...!" Naruto yelped in response, before jumping to his feet. "I swear I didn't do anything, I didn't even hit him once. I was just defending myself." Tsume just shook her head from side to side, while stifling a growl of her own.

"And why should I believe you over my own companion? I don't think Kuromaru would have any reason to lie to me."

Tsume slowly made her way over to the small blond's position, causing him to back away against the tree once more, while Ryuukimi quickly climbed up his shoulders again. The young dragon could feel his friend's body begin to quiver as the woman came within touching distance and he could already feel the fear emanating from his touch. Naruto wouldn't act to defend himself when he knew there was no hope of winning, so instead he reverted back to the primal instincts that had kept him alive his entire life, the only thing he knew that was left to do.

To take the punishment like he always did and just try to survive all the while. Fighting back only seemed to make things worse, especially when there was no hope of winning against a jounin. Naruto closed his eyes as his back touched against the cold surface of the tree that stood behind him, while his companion growled defensively, warning off the one who approached them. Ryuukimi prepared to lash out at the woman who walked up to them in an effort to protect his friend. He wouldn't allow her to touch him as long as he was still breathing. Just as Tsume stepped up to the two, she could see the panic on Naruto's face and she could smell his fear and it caused her to pause in her advance.

"Tsume, I wouldn't advise touching him if I were you."

The said woman quickly turned around to see Iruka standing at the edge of the clearing with his arms folded in anger, while Naruto opened his eyes to see the figure of his father. The young boy almost collapsed to the ground in relief, but he somehow managed to stand despite himself.

"Iruka, are you telling me that you're defending this boy, even after he attacked my son?" Iruka just continued to glare harshly, his eyes never once leaving the object of their gaze. The amount of killing intent radiating off those eyes was almost... unnerving for the jounin that looked back into them.

"Do you really believe Naruto would just attack someone for no reason?" Was his only response to her question. "If that's the case, then I'm afraid I underestimated your intelligence." Tsume just growled under her breath while a shocked Kiba continued to watch the exchange, his voice too constricted to even speak up.

"If Kuromaru says that he attacked my son, then it must be true. It is only fitting that he be punished for what he's done...."

**"****But not by you!!!!!"** Iruka shouted back, cutting her off. "I may be his teacher, but I am also his father as well and therefore he is my responsibility, not yours!!! If you so much as try to touch a hair on his head, I promise you that you'll regret it for the rest of however short your life is after that!"

"Is that a threat?" Tsume growled in response.

"No... it's a promise. I'm not playing games here Tsume and don't think that just because you're a jounin that you hold any sway over me. I'm not afraid of you in the least bit so don't think you can try to intimidate me. I assure you that I will protect my son and there isn't a chance in hell that I'd let you beat me so long as he needs me to be there!!! That was my promise and I intend to keep it come hell or high waters!!!!"

Iruka then walked over to where his son was standing... barely... before placing his arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling him closer into a protective shield. Naruto's hands instinctively wandered over to his father's protective form, immediately grabbing onto the man's vest in an effort to hide himself from harm, while allowing himself to be lead out of the clearing. Tsume just watched on in surprise as the three of them moved away from her position, unable to bring her body to act to stop them. It was almost as though the killing intent that had come from Iruka had paralyzed her in that very spot.

Just before they disappeared from view, the scarred chunin looked back once more, allowing a heavy frown to appear on his face that threatened harm should she dare try to act against him.

"I'm actually rather disappointed in you Tsume. I thought that you Inuzuka prided yourselves on seeing through lies and deception, I thought that you never allowed your eyes to blind you to what your other senses told you. If you just shoved your emotions out of the way for a moment or two, I'm sure you would have noticed that Naruto was actually telling the truth. After all, you can smell it quite easily when a person is lying if I'm not mistaken, unless, of course, you're losing your touch."

The man then turned around to leave again with Naruto under his arms. Once they were out of view Tsume turned to look back at her son, noticing the shock and confusion on the boy's face. It was then that she could see the truth, it was easily visible in Kiba's eyes.

"Kiba, is what he said true?" Kiba just remained silent, giving the woman the answer she needed. "I.... see...."

_'__He's right, Iruka was right...'_ She thought to herself quietly, while silently cursing her own emotions. _'The boy was telling the truth after all. I should have noticed it sooner but instead I allowed myself to be blinded by own feelings. I could have....'_ The woman then turned her attention to her canine companion, narrowing her eyes dangerously as she did.

"Kuromaru, next time I tell you to report to me when something is happening, I expect you to do just that. If you so much as sniff anyone else again without my consent, there will be severe consequences! Have I made myself clear!?!?!?" The said ninken just bowed his head apologetically, before Tsume turned her attention to her son.

"And as for you little mister, you've got a lot of explaining to do!!! When we get home, you're gonna be cleaning out the kennels for the next month, or until I'm satisfied that you've learned your lesson!!!! Have you got that!?!?!?" Kiba was immediately snapped out of his stupor by the harsh voice of his mother as it echoed throughout the air, but he never once spoke up to object to his proposed punishment, something that shocked the older Inuzuka as she watched his reaction.

The young boy quickly turned his head away while hiding it in shame, wondering how he had allowed things to get so out of hand. He only wanted to scare Naruto into believing he was better than him, but when he couldn't even land a blow on the smaller boy, he allowed himself to lose control of his anger. He had never expected that Naruto could have been placed in so much danger, or possibly even killed, because of his reckless actions.

"I... I'm sorry mom. I won't let it happen again."

--

As Iruka and Naruto both retuned to the path on which the rest of the group were waiting, the chunin sat his son down on one of the many scattered rocks around the area. He then knelt down in front of the boy and gained his eyes, which were still filled with some degree of panic.

"Hey kiddo, are you alright? You look a bit shaken up there..." Naruto just took a deep gulp before nodding his head.

"Yeah, I'm.... I'm just a bit upset, that's all, but I'm not hurt." The young boy's face then fell into a frown, causing the man in front of him to grow concerned.

"I just don't understand. Why is everyone so ready to hurt me all the time? All I wanted to do was go and get some food, but no-one will ever just leave me alone. I didn't want any trouble, I really tried to avoid it, but people just seem to want to hurt me all the time..."

Naruto then let out a deep breath and allowed his eyes to wander to the floor. Iruka knew that there was more to this then the boy was letting on and the look on Ryuukimi's face was more than enough to support that suspition.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Naruto looked up to his father again with a surprised expression, causing the young man to sigh.

"Look Naruto, I know you better than you may realize. I can see when something is bothering you without having to touch you. You've been nervous for the past two days already, so why don't you tell me what's going on?" Naruto was about to respond, to say that it was nothing, when Ryuukimi spoke up in his stead.

"Tell him Naruto-chan... you need to tell him what's wrong. He needs to know what's going on." The young boy flinched slightly at his friends proposal, causing Iruka's frown to deepen even more. He could see the panic in Naruto's eyes and he knew that it wasn't only about what had just happened.

"He's right Naruto, you can't keep everything bottled up inside all the time. Remember what Anko told you back in the hospital? You have to let me help you, that's what a father is there for, to be there for his family, for his son..." Naruto just nodded his head quietly. There was no getting out of this one any more despite his best efforts. He knew that they were only trying to help him.

"Alright, I'll tell you..."

After that, Naruto proceeded to tell Iruka everything he had told Ryuukimi two nights before, explaining the story about his birthdays at the orphanage and how some of the other Konoha villagers and shinobi would mistreat him during the nights festivities. He had never revealed that specific story to his father before now, mostly because he didn't want the man to get upset, but now it seemed as though he had no choice and the look on Iruka's face was enough to tell him how angry and sad the chunin was.

After finishing with a choked breath, the young boy looked down to his feet again and scrunched the fabric of his pants into his hands. It was all he could do to keep back the tears that stung at his eyes, ones that he fought bravely to contain in front of the prying eyes that looked over to them.

"T... that's why I'm n... nervous..." He finally finished with a stammer. "... It's because s... some of them are here. They keep looking at me all the time, like they want to h... hurt me again just like they did during those nights. That's w... why..."

Iruka quickly took the boy's hands into his own, causing Naruto to release his tight grip on his pants and instead accept the warm touch that was offered to him by his father. The chunin crouched down even lower until his eyes met that of his son, before squeezing the boy's hands gently.

"Naruto, I promise you I wont let anyone hurt you. That's why for the rest of the trip, you're going to stay right by my side the whole time." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at hearing that.

"But dad, what about the rest of the class? What about the field trip? Don't you need to watch over what's going on?" Iruka just shook his head from side to side.

"While it's true that I have a responsibility to the rest of the class, that is not my only priority any more. I also have my own family that I need to take care of, with a precious person who needs me to be there for him as well. That was my promise to you, remember? You are also one of my students as well, even though you are my son, so it is also my duty to keep you from harm as long as you're my responsibility."

The man then stood to his feet again, still keeping hold of Naruto's hands as well as his gaze. "But even still, as my son, you are my top priority and you come before anything else, even the academy. Besides, it seems as though the other parents have already displayed their... willingness to protect their own children, so I think it is only fitting that I do the same. It will also allow us to spend more time together as well, don't you think?"

Naruto just smiled warmly and then nodded his head in approval. He was happy that he would be able to spend more time at his father's side and Iruka noticed the change in his emotions immediately, but that wasn't the only reason he was smiling.

"Good, I'm glad to see that smile again. It makes you look much better than when you're upset."

"I think so too..." Ryuukimi agreed. "That stupid dog is just lucky that we didn't get to finish our battle. I know that fur doesn't react well to fire under any circumstances and I was just about to roast his ass!!!" All three of them laughed at the dragon's untimely announcement, already feeling better about the whole ordeal.

"Well, I hope you showed Kiba not to mess with you again." Iruka smiled through his laughs.

"Yeah..." Naruto managed to respond weakly. "I guess we did do quite well, didn't we Ryuukimi-chan?" The dragon just glared at his young companion as if it was obvious.

"What do you mean _'we did well'_? We were so going to so kick his rear completely if it wasn't for that stupid dog and his stupider partner ruining things!!!" Naruto just giggled under his breath.

"Um, Ryuukimi, I don't think _'stupider'_ is a proper word." This only gained another Naruto-like pout from the young dragon, causing the two human's that witnessed it to laugh once more.

Just then Ino and Sakura came running up to where the three of them were waiting, both dragging Shikamaru and Chouji behind them respectively. Once they made it up to their destination, the blond Yamanaka released a small breath of fatigue and then recomposed herself once more.

"Hey Iruka-sensei! Um... Naruto... we were wondering if you wanted to come and get some berries with us?" The other blond in question just cocked his head to the side in confusion while Ryuukimi smirked on top of his head.

"You mean _'you'_ want _'__me'_ to come and get some food with you guys?" The girl just nodded her head in a deadpanned expression.

"You make it sound so troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. "Although it probably is, but my father made me go as well so I have no choice in the matter."

Naruto just continued to stare for a brief moment, wondering why the four of them would want him to accompany them. Naruto, the class dobe, was being invited to do something with them. The young blond just looked over to his father with a questioning stare, only to gain an approving nod from the scarred chunin. He then looked back over to the four waiting and took a deep gulp.

"Um... A... alright. I g... guess I can come." Sakura just gave off a deep, exasperated sigh.

"There's no need to be so nervous you know. Now come, lets get going before someone else beats us to all the good ones." The girl was about to reach out and grab Naruto's hand, but quickly paused when she noticed him pulling away from her touch. It was then that she remembered what had happened just two nights ago.

"S... sorry Naruto. I didn't mean to do that." Naruto just shrugged a bit, a little embarrassed over his own reaction.

"Don't worry about it. I... It's just that..." the young boy seemed to be at a loss for words, which was something that happened often when he was around people he didn't know to well, so Ryuukimi spoke up in his stead.

"What he's trying to say, is that he just reacts that way naturally whenever someone tries to touch him, so there's no need to worry about too much about it. He just doesn't like to be touched, that's all."

Naruto just nodded his head in agreement, as if to confirm the words of his friend. The other four kids seemed to accept the explanation without too much hesitation, which was somewhat surprising, and then made off for the woods again with Naruto trailing not to far behind them.

"Thanks for the backup buddy. I don't know what I'd do without you." Naruto whispered to his companion.

"It's no problem Naruto-chan, what are friends for?" Once they were all gone from view, Iruka noticed the other four kids' parents approaching him and couldn't help but smile. _'You sly bastards...'_

"You guys planned this didn't you?" Shikaku just shrugged his shoulders and feigned innocence, but the mischievous grin on his face was enough to give away his plot to anyone who witnessed it.

"Oh alright..." The dark haired jounin finally gloated.

"... so I came up with a little plan to get them interacting with one another a bit more. After all, Naruto isn't the only one who needs to learn to open up to others. All our kids have their own way of bottling out the rest of the world, whether it's by being an Uchiha admirer that doesn't now how to be decent to anyone else they don't deem unworthy..." At this, Inoichi and Kioshi nodded their heads knowingly, having already identified the flaws in their daughters' social skills. "... or just being plain lazy, like my own son and Chouji are, although the latter also has some self confidence issues. We just needed to give them a little push in the right direction and get them to notice one another a bit more. Friendship is a precious commodity that they need to learn to garner at any opportunity they can, otherwise they're going to end up hurting themselves in the end."

Iruka nodded his head knowingly and then looked over to where the others had disappeared. "Yeah, I guess this is the best way forward then. I can only hope that they can learn to become true friends that will be there for one another."

_'__I also just hope Naruto doesn't get hurt because of what's happened to him in the past.'_

--

About an hour later saw the small group of travelers once again on the path forward, moving across the growing wilderness under the later afternoon sun. Naruto was busy digging into the large box of berries that they had accumulated while out in the woods, while feeding Ryuukimi a handful every now and again.

"You know, these actually aren't too bad." The dragon muffled with a mouth full of food.

This only caused Naruto to giggle softly at the sight of his puffed up cheeks. His friend had immediately taken to the small delicacy with a renewed enthusiasm and was practically downing them by the mouthful when the opportunity presented itself. Iruka looked down at the two of them, who were now walking by his side, and couldn't help but smile as well.

"You know, eating too much fruit can cause stomach cramps and indigestion. We wouldn't want you to set the camp alight later this evening now would we?" The young man laughed, remembering the story about how Ryuukimi had started to breath fire for the first time.

Both youngsters just looked at one another nervously, immediately realizing what the man was referring to. Naruto didn't know if dragons could blush, be he could swear that he saw Ryuukimi acquire a tinge of red in his cheeks, although that could be written off to the late afternoon sunlight.

Of course, as anyone could tell just by looking at their massive bounty, the foraging went off without too much trouble for the four youngsters and they had managed to gather quite the _'killing',_ so to speak. All of them were somewhat surprised when Naruto took to his tree climbing exercise in order to reach some of the more secluded branches that held their awaiting prize, although it wasn't as surprising after having already witnessing him water walking.

However, the rewards were well worth the effort and they all had more than they could possibly hope to finish in one sitting, except for the two Akimichi of course. Although most of them would be hard pressed to admit it, especially Shikamaru, they actually had fun with one another. Even Naruto seemed to loosen up a bit more, if only a little, but it was progress none the less. The young boy even managed to complete a few sentences without stammering or losing his voice. They had all gained a little more insight into one another and it was starting to become obvious that there was more to each of them then what meats the eye.

Naruto noticed that although Shikamaru seemed lazy and boring on the outside, he was actually a very smart and capable person. The plans he would come up with to gather their food effectively were ingenious and had surprised them all with his sudden spurt of ingenuity. It was almost as though he enjoyed coming up with different strategies for them to use, although his facial expression would never betray that fact.

Chouji, on the other hand, seemed to be somewhat more withdrawn under normal circumstances, but the thought of food had kicked his rear into gear and Naruto hadn't seen so much enthusiasm over the subject of eating since his own love of ramen had first manifested. The young Akimichi's multi-sized jutsu were actually very handy in shaking the trees or plants of their bounty or catching the bushels of fruit that Naruto would throw down to him.

Ino and Sakura actually managed to be nice to him as well, although he suspected that had something to do with what had happened over the past few days. He still didn't really trust them not to hurt him though and he would always be wary not to make them angry. They didn't even seem to fawn over Sasuke quite as much as usual and didn't even mention him once during the entire outing, although they would still take the time to do so whenever the opportunity presented itself later on.

Now after a long day of interesting surprises and a slight bit of turmoil thrown into the mix, the sun was now slowly making its way over to the horizon to close off for the night. They were currently traveling along the side of a mountain trail, warded off to the right by a sheer cliff drop that fell onto the river running further bellow them. On the opposite side was a wall of sheer rock that made up the rest of the mountain, trapping the group between the two obstacles on the small mountain path that they walked upon.

Naruto knew that they would be camping out as soon as they found a suitable location and he was even starting to become tired himself despite his overwhelming stamina reserves. The young boy quickly huddled up to his father's side, uncaring about the eyes he could feel bring into him from behind, and dug his head into the chunin's vest. He didn't really care about anything else right now. Just being next to his father made him feel safe and warm. Even Ryuukimi seemed to join in on the atmosphere, because he too couldn't help the yawn that exited his mouth. Iruka just placed his arm around the boy's shoulder and held him closely, smiling as he did.

Further back in the crowd, Tsume was busy watching the exchange with narrowed eyes. She couldn't help but wonder about what had happened earlier that day between Naruto and her own son. She didn't trust the boy as far as she could throw him, but something about his eyes had her second guessing her own opinion of him. They weren't the eyes of a beast as she had imagined them to be, but rather the eyes of a scared child, ones that held an endless amount of fear and pain that she could see didn't just stem from what had happened that day.

It was almost as though the young boy was expecting what was going to happen to him, as though he had already experienced a lot of pain before and was just preparing himself for another round of suffering. Tsume quickly looked down to her son with a frown, noticing that the boy hadn't spoken once since they had talked about what had happened. Kiba eventually admitted to losing his cool and attacking Naruto and he also admitted that Naruto didn't actually fight back, but rather resigned to deflecting and evading his blows. What surprised her the most, though, was how distraught he seemed to be about it. It was almost as though his own guilt was eating away at him and she wandered what words were shared between them during the entire ordeal.

"Do you smell that?" Tsume quickly turned her attention to the companion beside her as Kuromaru growled in a low whisper, shaking off her thoughts as she did. She then raised her nose into the air and took a few whiffs of her own.

"Yeah, I do. It smells like something is burning." The young woman's eyes then widened in surprise as a sudden realization hit her. She recognized that smell and it could only mean one thing.

_'__Explosive tags!!!!'_

**"****Kiba, Kuromaru, everyone get down now!!!!!!!!"** The entire crowd turned to see what the commotion was about, but it was already too late to head the Inuzuka's warning.

A sudden eruption of fire blasted into the side of the mountain that they were traveling on, shaking the ground and causing many of them to fall over in the waking tremor. Iruka quickly shoved Naruto to the ground and covered him with his own body, protecting him and Ryuukimi from the dust and debris that was kicked up into the air. The chunin then looked up through the smoke that filled their surroundings, only to notice a large number of shadowy figures landing around them, followed by the cold voice that pierced his heart with its malice and promise of harm.

"It looks like we have found our designated target. Proceed with the operation immediately."

--

**Notes: Tsuuga** = Piercing Fang.

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!! Sorry about the epic cliffhanger, but I assure you, I'll try not to take as long with the next chapter. There's going to be quite the battle approaching so things should be interesting. XD

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	28. Chapter 28 The Shadow Strikes

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Alright, so this chapter took me a little bit longer than I originally expected, so I'm sorry for the delay. Alas, these things happen from time to time, although being stuck without a mac for three days certainly didn't help any bit. I know you'll forgive me!!! XD

Hope you enjoy the next chapter. ^ ^

--

**Chapter 28 - The Shadow Strikes**

The clattering grumble of shuffling rocks and falling debris sounded throughout the dense thick plume of smoke that picked up into the air as the side of the mountain wavered precariously under itself, reacting to the powerful explosion that had just erupted from its side.

Naruto wearily opened his blurred eyes, trying to see through the dust and smog that had picked up into the air while his body began to squirm in panic under an unknown weight that lay on top of him. The young boy began to cough roughly in an attempt to clear some of the dust that had been inhaled into his lungs and throat, while his eyes teared up from the sand that had entered them.

"Naruto! Are you alright?" Naruto almost flinched when the panicked voice calling out to him and then realized that there was someone else on top of his body. He quickly looked up to see the panic stricken eyes of his father staring down at him, along with an equally concerned Ryuukimi.

"Y... *cough*... yeah, I'm... fine." He grumbled painfully, gaining a sigh of relief from Iruka. "What's *Cough*.... what's going on? Why are we on the floor?"

It was then that the young boy noticed the sound of clashing metal and shuffling feet sounding around him, causing his heart to tense up in fear at the all too familiar sound. As the dust began to clear from the air, the situation soon became clear for all of them to see as unknown ninja clashed weapons with some of the shinobi parents accompanying them while a startled call alerted Iruka to his own worst fears.

**"We're under attack!!!" **

The scarred chunin almost paled as he heard those words and he could feel his son begin to tremble underneath him. Iruka could feel the boy's nerves begin to shatter completely and he silently wondered if it was because of his own emotions as well. He quickly jumped up to his feet again and straight into action. He had to fight to protect his class, to protect his son.

"Naruto, stay low to the ground and try to remain out of view!!! I'll get back to you as soon as I can, I promise!!!" With that, the scarred chunin ran into the battle with a kunai drawn, ignoring the desperate calls of his son.

"No dad!!!! Wait!!!!!!!"

Naruto quickly jumped to own his feet soon afterwards, with Ryuukimi taking a place on his shoulder once more while the boy searched around the area frantically. There was fighting going on all over the place around them, with small face-offs occurring along the entire rim of the path they were travelling on. Naruto quickly caught sight of Iruka plunging a kunai right into the chest of one of the assailants, but couldn't help but gape when the figure turned into a pile off mud right before his eyes.

"Shit!!! Mud clones!!!!" The chunin cursed. However, he was soon surprised to notice that many of the other Konoha shinobi around him were having a similar problem as well.

"But... why...?" Before the man could even finish his thoughts, another attacker came at him from the right hand side, catching him off guard, but before he could reach his target a massive fist smashing him into the ground leaving nothing but a splash of mud in its wake. Iruka looked over to Choza and nodded in thanks, gaining a similar motion in reply.

"Choza, I need you to get as many academy students to safety as you can. We can't afford for anyone to get hurt, especially the children." Choza quickly nodded his head in compliance.

"Will do Iruka, you can count on me!" The two then resumed their battle, moving in amongst the attackers while attempting to ward them off from the other students, who were all by now lost in the confusion.

Naruto could only watch stiffly as his nightmares played out before him, his body too frozen in fear to even react to his own mental commands or even those of his survival instincts. Many of the parents shuffled to get their children out of harms way while others dispatched one enemy after another. Even Hiashi cleaved his way through a large group of them, only to have them fall as mud at his feet, while Hinata stood a reasonable distance away from him, almost looking as lost as Naruto was.

"Naruto-chan, we need to move!!!" Naruto didn't even hear Ryuukimi's pleas as the young dragon called out to him. He was too lost in his own nightmares to even notice that he was in danger.

"No... this can't be happening... not again..." The boy mumbled to himself aimlessly. All that was left of him at this point was an empty shell of a child standing in the middle of a cruel reality, seemingly waiting for the inevitable suffering that descended upon him. Ryuukimi could barely hear his silent ramblings, but he knew that the boy was terrified just by the way he felt to the touch.

"Naruto-chan!!! Come on!!!!!" Still there was no answer and the young dragon glanced around desperately to find a solution to snap Naruto out of his trance.

It was only a matter of time before someone noticed their predicament and took advantage of the opening that was provided to them. It was then that he dragon caught sight of an assailant moving towards a nearby Hinata, shuffling through the crowd of combatants with a kunai in hand.

"Naruto-chan!!! You need to snap out of this right now!!! Hinata's in danger!!! Your friend needs you!!!!"

The young boy flinched when he heard his companion's warning, before quickly regaining his grip on reality. Suddenly, everything came rushing back to him and he quickly shook off his deteriorating thoughts, much to Ryuukimi's relief.

_'What am I doing? Why am I acting like this?'_ he thought to himself. _'I need to concentrate right now, otherwise I'm going to get us killed.'_ He then quickly refocused on what was happening, allowing the words of his companion to sink in, before shooting off towards where Hinata was standing. Just before the assailant could land his attack on the completely unaware Hyuuga heiress, Naruto appeared between the two and deflected the hand that held the man's outstretched kunai. Hinata immediately caught notice what was happening and gaped in surprise.

"N... Naruto-kun?!" The blond quickly deflected another two follow up attacks, knocking away the man's fists with precise timing before spinning down on his heels to evade another high lung.

Ryuukimi took the opportunity of the boy's rotation to slam his tail into the shinobi's face, causing the man to stumble backwards off of his feet from the heavy blow. Naruto then spun back up again and slammed both of his palms into the man's chest, sending him skidding back a few feet away from them.

"So, the little brat has some skill after all?" The man snickered, before charging forward again. "And here I thought that this was going to be boring."

The shinobi quickly lunged at the boy once more with a kunai in hand, only to have it deflected by a rising palm thrust, causing the attack to veer skyward. Naruto was about to counter attack again, but before he could even act, Hinata suddenly appeared in front of him, skidding forward between the boy and his attacker in a low crouch with the Byuakugan blazing in her eyes.

_'I will not stand by and watch again! I will protect Naruto as well!!!'_ The young Hyuuga quickly unleashed a barrage of pinpoint strikes, hitting the man's arms and legs before targeting his chest with a final blow. The young girl sighed in relief as the figure before her melted into a puddle of mud before turning her attention back to Naruto, who was now gawking in surprise.

"Wow Hinata, when did you learn to do that!?!?" The young girl just giggled nervously, while prodding her fingers against one another, her old habits quickly resurfacing at the boy's compliments.

"I guess... I just taught it to myself... so that I could protect someone important to me..." This only caused Naruto to smile in return, a genuine smile that warmed her heart with its promising glow.

"Hey, cut it out you two!!! We can talk after the fight!!!" Both youngsters quickly snapped out of their stupor as Ryuukimi lashed out to them, forcing them to refocus on what was happening around them.

--

Further in the distance hidden in the trees, hawk-like eyes continued to watch the battle unfold with a growing interest, being particularly drawn to the familiar figure of their target as the boy and his friend continued to battle side by side.

"So, it seems the little brat is out in the open now. Perhaps we should move to strike while we still can." One of the hidden voices proclaimed smugly.

"No..." A sharp reply came. "We will stick to the original plan and use the mud clones to engage them. It is too risky to confront him directly, especially with so many renowned Konoha shinobi around him. A direct attack is suicidal at best especially considering the skill level of some of them." The first man just sneered at the outright denial.

"I don't care about your stupid plans Kyoui. We have a chance to kill him right now and you're letting it slip through your fingers!!! I'm going to make sure that monster gets what he deserves!!!" With that, the shinobi burst out of the trees, making his way down to the narrow path where the battle was taking place.

"Damn it, he's going to jeopardize the entire operation!!! If anyone notices where he came form, they'll be able to backtrack to us!!! I knew I shouldn't have hired these damned mercenaries. They let their emotions get in the way of their jobs."

--

Naruto slammed his palm into the chest of another mud clone, causing it to melt away to the ground while Hinata guarded his back, checking the area around them with her Byuakugan for any further attacks. She was relieved to notice that there wasn't any immediate danger nearby.

"It looks like that's all of them..." She panted, her exhaustion now taking root. Naruto quickly turned to face her with a weak grin, having also been tired out from fighting so much, while Ryuukimi huffed in annoyance.

"You... you did really great Hinata. I'm glad I had you fighting at my side..." This only caused Hinata to blush at the compliment with her face turning a deep shade of red that would even embarrass a lobster.

"You too Naruto-kun..." Neither of them even noticed the danger that descended upon them as an unknown shinobi landed along the narrow path, facing the two youngsters with bloodlust gleaming in his eyes.

"Looks like this will be easier than I thought!!!" The man quickly formed a series of hand seals, before raising his fingers to his mouth. **"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!!!"**

A large ball of fire quickly emanated of the tip of the ninja's mouth, traveling towards the two youngsters and a raging torrent of heat and flame. Hiashi quickly noticed the inferno travelling towards his daughter's location from where he stood, causing him to pale at the sight.

**"Hinata!!! Move!!!!!"** Both Hinata and Naruto noticed the desperate call, drawing their attention to the approaching inferno.

"Damn it, that's not good!!!!!" Naruto gulped. The young boy quickly jumped in between the surprised Hyuuga and the approaching attack, raising his hands in front of himself in preparation while Ryuukimi simply took a deep gulp of dread. Hinata could only watch as the young blond faced the raging flames in front of them, it was already too late to move out of the way.

"I guess I have no choice but to use this. I just hope it works, otherwise we're all toast!!!!!!" The young boy quickly channelled his chakra and life force into his hands, causing intricate golden patterns to form on them, while forming two strange seals, one at the centre of each palm. The seals began to grow brightly soon afterwards, causing a faint glow of soft light to emanate from the tips of his hands.

**"Tenpo! Amatsu no Saiden!!!!"** Hiashi could only watch in terror as the inferno enveloped the two youngsters, covering the entire area with nothing but smoke and flames while scorching the earth to a cinder. The resounding explosion shook the ground and threw numerous debris up into the air.

"No... H... Hinata..."

"So, I guess that's it then..." The attacking shinobi snickered, inspecting his handy work. "That was way too easy for my liking." Just then, a small ray of golden light began to pierce through the smoke, causing both Hiashi and the unknown shinobi to stare curiously as the entire cloud began to light up in a soft glow before dissipating before their very eyes.

"What is this chakra?" The older Hyuuga mumbled to himself, his Byuakugan still active. "I... I've never seen anything like it before."

After a few more moments the smoke was pushed back away, revealing a sphere of soft golden light glowing in the centre of the charred earth, with two youngsters standing safely in the middle. Ryuukimi, who still rode on Naruto's shoulders, let out a deep sigh of relief. Even the ground beneath them remained untouched, almost as though nothing had happened at all. The young boy's hands eventually fell to his sides soon afterwards, causing the protective light to disappear as he collapsed to one knee, his body wrapped in complete exhaustion.

**"Naruto!!!!"** Hinata gulped, as she ran up to the boy's side. It was then that she noticed the seals melting away from Naruto's limp hands as well as the concern on Ryuukimi's face as he looked down at his friend.

"Naruto-chan!!! You need to get up!!! Please get up!!!" Naruto tried to lift himself to his feet again, but he was still too tired to even move properly. Instead he just collapsed to the floor, his consciousness quickly fading away into darkness.

"That jutsu... it still takes... a lot out of me..." He panted, his breathing becoming erratic. The young boy's breathing slowly began to lessen, while his companion tried desperately to keep him from falling into darkness.

"Ryuukimi, please look after Hinata. Please protect her. I... I feel so... tired..." With that, Naruto fell into darkness once more, no longer being able to keep himself awake.

"But what about you Naruto-chan!?!?!?! Who's going to protect you!?!?!?" Hinata quickly landed beside the young blond, but she was too afraid to even touch him mostly because of how frantically Ryuukimi was guarding over his body.

"Naruto!!!! Please wake up!!!!" The young girl searched around desperately for any help, but everywhere she looked her eyes only found more battling shinobi. None of them even noticed their plight, except for Hiashi and Iruka, who were both trying desperately to make their way over to the two youngster, but to no avail. There were simply too many obstructions blocking their paths.

"So, the little monster became selfless and saved his friends. How sweet!!!" Ryuukimi and Hinata both looked up to see their attacker making his way over to him. The two of them quickly jumped between the man and his prey, forming a defensive shield to protect Naruto from harm. The man simply sneered at the unusual display of loyalty, especially considering who it was they were trying to protect.

"Oh, so you really want to defend the little demon, is that it? Do you have any idea what that boy actually is??" Hinata just scrunched her face in confusion, before turning to look at Ryuukimi who was now fuming with anger.

"Don't listen to him Hinata! He doesn't know anything about Naruto!!!"

"Oh, but I know a lot about him..." The man snickered in reply. "I know that this boy is nothing but a little, snivelling monster who deserves nothing more than to be punished for everything he's done. He needs to suffer the worst kind of pain and I will make sure that his death is the most excruciating it could possibly be!!! In fact, I think I'll just burn him alive slowly, that way you two can both listen to his screams of pain just as the life leaves his eyes!!!" Ryuukimi was about to charge at the man in anger, but was taken completely by surprise when Hinata darted out before him.

"Don't ever talk about Naruto-kun like that!!!! You don't know who he is!!!!!!! You just can't see him, but I've watched him suffer every day!!!! I've seen him cry in pain all the time because of the cruelty of people like you!!!!" The girl quickly slid forward at a blinding speed, appearing right in front of her attacker with eyes that bore an endless amount of anger and hatred, as well as the silhouette of her Byuakugan.

"I wont let you touch him even if it kills me!!!" The girl quickly unleashed another barrage of pinpoint strikes, closing the man's tenketsu points before he even had a chance to respond.

As she finished her final blow, Ryuukimi quickly jumped over her head, having now overcome his initial shock, and spun around in the air before slamming his tail into the mans face with his full force. The blow sent the shinobi skidding along the ground, before finally coming to a stop near the edge of the rock face that ran along the side of the path.

Now nothing more that a motionless heap lying on the floor, Hinata and Ryuukimi turned their attention away from their disabled attacker and back to the unconscious boy that lay behind them. The young dragon quickly ran up to his companion's side and sheltered him in his wings, before turning to Hinata with a strained expression.

"You need to get someone to help!!! I don't know what's wrong with him, but he's not breathing properly anymore!!!" The girl gust nodded briskly, while taking a deep gulp of dread. She then turned on her heels to look for anyone to help, but her eyes only met with the battlefield around them.

Everywhere she looked, shinobi were still busy engaging one another. It was easy to tell who was on what side, mostly because none of the enemy ninja wore any headbands to mark their hidden village, but even still there was hardly any opening for her to pursue. Over in the distance, she could see Choza and some of the other parents trying to move some of the children to safety near the inside edge of the road, while the others held off the enemy in an attempt to keep them safe from harm.

Itachi was weaving through the ranks with a precision she had never seen before, defeating one enemy after another with a blinding speed that was hard to keep up with, but she also noticed that Sasuke wasn't by his side anymore and was currently battling further away closer to where she and Naruto were. In fact, now that she noticed it, none of the students were near their parents except for the ones that had been moved already, even she and Naruto had been separated from Iruka and Hiashi and were now closer to the far side of the road that dropped into the river bellow.

"Oh no..." Ryuukimi looked up to the girl with a questioning stare.

"What's wrong Hinata?" The girl just looked back at him with a worried expression.

"I... I think we're in trouble. Something... something isn't right about all of this..." Further in the distance, Iruka and Shikaku were battling back to back, focusing on keeping their attackers away from the academy students that they had managed to get to safety.

"Damn it, these things never stop coming!!!" The older jounin growled under his breath. Iruka just grunted in response, confirming that he had the same feelings as his fellow shinobi.

"But I don't understand, why are they only using mud clones. Someone must be creating them from somewhere nearby, so why don't they just attack us directly?" Shikaku thought on Iruka's question while promptly dispatching another clone.

"They probably know that it would be suicide to attack directly, so they're resorting to using mud clones from a distance, although they are much weaker than a normal body at roughly ten percent of the original's power. It also uses the terrain to their advantage by making use of the mountain path as a bottleneck to constrict our movements."

"But I still don't understand..." Iruka huffed again, while disposing of another clone. "... If they're just using clones like this, then they must know that they wont have much effect other than causing confusion and panic. They'll still have to attack directly sooner or later, otherwise they'll only end up exhausting their own chakra reserves in a meaningless charade. But... if they don't actually intend on attacking us, why go through all this trouble?"

Shikaku's eyes suddenly widened in realization as the answer hit him like a proverbial slap in the face, something that Iruka noticed with a nervous gulp.

"Oh shit!!!!" he cursed under his breath.

"Oh shit what??" Iruka snapped back, his nerves now dwindling into mush.

"They're herding us like sheep!!! Why didn't I notice this before???" The scarred chunin quickly looked around, realizing that the man was speaking the truth. Other than the academy students that were already taken to safety, some of the children were now separated from the rest of the group and were battling near the edge of the road. The remaining parents were being pinned up against the wall of the mountain that ran along the other side.

"It's like playing a game of shougi..." Shikaku muttered gaining the chunin's attention again. "They're using sacrificial pieces, mere pawns, to battle us in an attempt to draw us into a false sense of security in order to trap us, while using the terrain and their superior numbers to maneuver us into position and separate us from one another."

"And what happens when they have us where they want us?" Iruka gulped in reply, already knowing the answer but still asking anyway. Shikaku just looked at him with a concerned expression.

"After that, it's check-mate..." The young chunin's mouth just dropped to the floor, before he quickly looked over to where his son was last seen only to notice that Naruto was no lying motionless on the floor with Hinata and Ryuukimi guarding him carefully.

"Shit... Naruto..." his eyes then wondered further to the left, only to notice that Sasuke and Shino were also being pushed closer to the edge of the mountain as well. Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino were all battling nearby and Kiba was currently engaging another clone further down to the left side of the group. There were one or two other students among them, but very few otherwise.

"Damn it, they have us exactly where they want us!!!!"

--

Back in the distance, Kyoui was watching carefully for the right moment to strike. He saw Hinata take down one of his own mercenaries after his failed attack and could only curse in anger. It was bad enough that the idiot had jeopardized their location, but now he was an open book of information for their targets.

"That idiot!!! I knew he would cause problems!!! I should have killed him myself!!!" He grumbled.

"Should we withdraw the attack Kyoui-san?" Another voice came.

"No... no, he chose his own fate and it will not be ours to suffer as well. Besides, everything is ready to go, so there's no point in turning back now." The man then raised his hands to form a single seal, channeling some chakra as he did.

"It's time to watch the fireworks boys!!!"

Suddenly, the side of the mountain ignited in a flurry of explosions as the rock bed beneath the path was blasted away into dust. Iruka could only watch in horror as the ground near the edge of the path began to collapse completely, falling away into the river bellow while dragging any unfortunate enough to be nearby with it, including some of the unwary students still fighting or hiding along the edge.

"Shit!!!! Naruto!!!!" The young chunin tried to head for his son, but was blocked off by even more mud clones before he could even get far. **"Naruto!!!!!!!"**

Hinata was shaken off of her feet as the ground began to tear away underneath her before sloping at a precarious angle towards the edge of the cliff. Naruto's body began to slide away towards the edge before she could grab it while Ryuukimi held on desperately to his friend.

"Hinata-chan!!!! Get away from here now!!!!" The young girl could only watch as the body of her friend disappeared behind the edge of the path, before the ground beneath her crumbled away completely, causing her to fall as well.

All three youngsters plummeted through the air down to the raging stream bellow with nothing to save them from the fall. Ryuukimi quickly turned Naruto's body in mid air with his flapping wings so that he himself was between his body and the stream, sheltering the unconscious boy from the impact of the fall while Hinata channeled her chakra to lessen the blow to her own body. As the two hit the water with a resounding splash, Hinata quickly swam up to the surface to regain her breath.

**"Naruto!!!! Ryuukimi!!!!!"** The Hyuuga heiress searched around frantically for her two missing friends, but they were nowhere to be found. She could do nothing to help it as she was carried away by the stream, her own body being too tired to even fight against the river's flow.

Ryuukimi was still desperately trying to pull his own companion back to the surface of the water for air, which was proving rather difficult with the boy's current condition. He knew that Naruto couldn't swim well either way and would need his help regardless, not that being unconscious helped that matter in any way either. Once they broke the surface, the young dragon held Naruto's head away from the water while using his legs and tail to keep them afloat as best as he could.

"Come on buddy!!! You need to wake up... please!!! I could really use your help here!" Ryuukimi's cries were in vain and it was all he could do to try and keep Naruto afloat by himself while they were carried down the stream and away from the towering plume of smoke that was rising from the edge of the mountainside. Only the feelings coming from the boy's touch and the gentle movement of his chest told Ryuukimi that he was alive and breathing, but that didn't stop him from worrying about the well being of his friend.

"I just had to go and tell him that dragons were good swimmers, didn't I? That's what you call irony biting you in the rear..."

Hinata was now nowhere in sight and the two continued to drift down the river alone. Ryuukimi tried his best to swim off to the shore, but he was to tired to struggle against the water's flow and they were moving too fast to have any hope of gripping on the rocks that passed them. After what felt like forever had passed, the water's flow started to become even faster and a large rumbling sound could be heard in the distance. Ryuukimi turned to face the approaching menace, only to gasp in surprise while stifling a groan. He could see the telltale sign of spraying mist as well as the white foam of the approaching rapids and he knew what was coming next.

"You have got to be kidding me!!! Who the hell decided to put a waterfall there?!?!?!" He grumbled to himself, muttering something incoherent about Kami being unfair. "Why does everything have to be so difficult all the time? Does the world really hate us that much, or is it just trying to be a pain in the ass?!?!?!"

Ryuukimi quickly turned Naruto around as best he could so that the boy's back was against the direction of the waterfall, while wrapping his tail around Naruto's chest. "Well, lets hope this works! Otherwise we're both dead..." He then spread his wings out to the side and prepared for the worst, knowing that the chances of survival were slim at best.

The young dragon could only count down the seconds that passed as they approached their greatest hurdle so far, although it seemed more like an eternity, with only the growing sound of a great roar to signify their final approach. Suddenly, the water beneath them disappeared all together, leaving nothing but air as the two youngsters began their plummet into the depths bellow.

"Damn it, here we go.... again!!!!!!!!" Ryuukimi quickly opened his wings to the side in an attempt to slow their fall, but even still it made little difference now. He could only hope that it would be enough for them to survive the landing.

**"Aaaahhhhh!!!!!" **

The sharp, painful impact that followed few moments afterwards as they hit the water bellow was quickly washed away as darkness soon consumed everything, leaving the two youngsters drifting precariously at the mercy of the violent stream.

--

About an hour had passed since the attack had first begun and the mountainside was now little more than a smouldering battlefield, filled with the scarred remains of their nightmarish ordeal. Iruka was busy seeing to many of the parents and children that had managed to stay safely out of harms way during the entire attack, while waiting patiently for news on those that had gone missing.

_'Damn it.... I hope Naruto is alright....'_ he thought quietly to himself. Just then, Choza and Itachi came landing back into the clearing, the larger man holding a few more children in his overly large arms. Iruka gave a semi-deep sigh of relief at seeing them and ran over to the two shinobi.

"We found these kids a bit further down stream." Choza announced. "They managed to wash up on shore before being swept away too far, so we were lucky in that regard."

The large man then placed the quivering children on the ground, allowing them to return to their more than worried parents. Iruka watched with a brief smile as the youngsters shed tears of relief along with their mothers and fathers, but that quickly fell away as his own child came to mind.

"Did you find anything else, any signs about the others?" Itachi just shook his head in dismay at the chunin's question.

I searched everywhere I could, but there are no other signs of anyone else nearby, not even the enemy presence. Even with my sharingan, it is hard to pick up a trail. They must have been swept further down the stream, or perhaps they have already been intercepted by our attackers." Iruka just paled at hearing that, but he tried his best to keep his composure, despite the implications of Naruto being found by someone who might be trying to hurt him. He could only hope that Ryuukimi managed to stay by the boy's side to protect him.

"How many are still missing then?" He finally managed to gulp.

"So far, we've counted a few..." A voice announced, hailing the approach of Shikaku. Iruka turned to face the man and noticed that he was just as pale as he felt himself, which could only mean one thing.

"I couldn't find Shikamaru anywhere and Inoichi, Choza and Kioshi have told me that their children are missing as well."

"So that makes five including Naruto..." The chunin replied in response.

"Yes, but I've also heard that Shino Abarume, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuuga are also missing too. Hiashi is practically besides himself and it took a few of us to stop him from tearing the mountain down."

"Sasuke is missing as well..." Itachi announced calmly, although anyone who paid careful attention would have noticed the concern in his voice.

"So that's all of them then? Alright, it looks like we have no choice. For tonight we'll set up camp and get some rest..."

"What!?!?!? We should be looking for our children right now!!!!!" Iruka turned to face the source of the interruption only to notice Tsume approaching in his direction with what only could be described as an angry expression.

"My Kiba is out there right now and you want to wait until morning to find them?!?! You might not care about your _child_ but I for one am not about to wait..."

**"You think I don't know that Tsume!?!?!?!?!?!?!"** Iruka cut her off, causing the rest of them to gawk in surprise at his sudden outburst.

"Do you think that this isn't painful for me as well? Do you think I don't want to find my son and hold him in my arms, to tell him everything will be alright? I'm just as worried as you are! I also love my son just as much as anyone else loves their child, even if you don't believe that's possible..." Iruka's voice seemed to trail off at the end and the scant signs of tears could be seen burning at the corner of his eyes. How could people be so insensitive to others around them.

"Iruka's right." Shikaku interrupted, causing everyone's attention to turn to him. "The enemy no doubt already knows that we will try to pursue either them or the missing children. They may have set up traps or ambushes for us, so it isn't safe to head out just yet, especially now that it is getting dark. Whoever did this, their target was obviously the academy students, so we cannot leave them here unattended." Iruka nodded his head in agreement.

"That's correct. The ANBU I've sent for should arrive here by morning if they travel through the night. One they arrive, we can send the rest of the students back to the safety of the village and then form a search party to look for the missing kids. Is that alright?" Tsume just grumbled under her breath, but nodded her head anyway. As much as she didn't like the situation, they were right, she knew there wasn't much choice in the matter.

"Ha... it won't make a difference now!!! Those kids are as good as dead!!!" All of them turned to face the source of protest, only to notice the limp body lying on the floor a few feat away from them. Iruka recognized the man immediately as the one that had tried to burn his son alive during the battle. The scarred chunin quickly walked over to the man's prone form with a stern expression.

"Tell me, everything you know about this and you might get off easy, otherwise you'll be paying a visit to a friend of mine who is sure to make your tongue spill." The man just laughed at the threat.

"Hahahaha!!! Please... like I'd tell you anything. That little monster of yours is going to get what's coming to him as well as anyone else unlucky enough to get in the way." Iruka just cringed in anger at the man's use of words, but he manage to remain calm despite himself.

He was about to question him again, but the shinobi quickly popped a pill into his mouth before anyone could react. They could only watch as his body began to spasm violently before finally becoming still. He was dead. Iruka just stifled an angry growl and turned to face the rest of the adults.

"Alright, lets get some rest. We'll have to start our search in the morning. Choza, I'd like you to explain the situation to the rest of the parents so they don't worry too much." After that, the rest of them went back to their devices, while Choza went to explain the circumstances to the rest of the adults as well as the plan they had set out. Only Shikaku and Iruka remained behind.

"So... I guess that's the end of the field trip then..." The older jounin murmured almost aimlessly. "... and it was going so well too..." Iruka just nodded his head quietly, his thoughts still wandering on the wellbeing of his son.

"They... they must have planned this right from the beginning. They knew exactly where we were headed and they planned this ambush for a long time coming. I just don't understand why..." Shikaku could still see the tears that were threatening to fall from the chunin's face as well as the panic in his eyes.

"So you think this is an inside job?" Iruka just stood their silently, giving the jounin the answer he needed. He wasn't known as a genius for nothing and he could already tell what was going on.

Of course, it wasn't uncommon for enemy shinobi from other hidden villages to attack academy students when the opportunity presented itself. It was an age old strategy... kill the enemies trainees before they can even become shinobi, while effectively creating a gap in the generations of their forces, but somehow he also knew that their was a lot more to this than just another mere enemy attack.

None of the enemy shinobi were wearing forehead protectors, which was odd even for surprise raids from enemy ninja. This meant that they were probably hired shinobi or mercenaries that didn't have any allegiances to a specific country or village and that they had a very specific objective to fulfil.

"They... they weren't just after our students were they?" Iruka almost jumped in surprise at Shikaku's question. "They were after Naruto... weren't they? This is why he was training to protect himself."

The scarred chunin turned to face the man with a heavy frown, once again answering his question without saying a single word. The tears that were threatening to fall were now hanging at the edge of his eyes and he could barely see through the blurred vision that resulted.

"Everyone just wants to hurt him all the time. All they want is to see him endure the worst kind of pain, to see him suffer alone without anyone to protect him. Even the civilians and shinobi from our own village have outright attacked him on countless occasions, often leaving him with broken bones or sometimes even worse. Why can't they just leave my son alone? Why can't they just let him live in peace? he deserves to be loved just as much as anyone else..."

Shikaku quickly walked up to the scarred chunin and placed his hand on Iruka's shoulder, feeling the man begin to quiver under his firm grasp. He knew how the young man felt, it was the same way he would feel as well if Shikamaru was in the same position. He was also worried for his own son, but now he knew that Naruto was in even more grave danger, especially if he was alone.

"It's alright Iruka, you don't have to act strong in front of me. I'm a father just like you are and I know what you must be feeling. It's alright to let the tears fall, after all, we shinobi are still human beings despite everything, so screw the rules. We still have people we love, precious people who are worth crying over."

With that, Iruka just let it all out, allowing the tears he tried to hide away to fall down his face, with only a kind hearted soul and a fellow father to witness his moment of weakness. It wasn't often that this happened, it wasn't often that he cried since his parents had died, but he could no longer hold the pain inside anymore, especially after learning what Naruto had been going through over the last few days without him.

"He's all alone..." he mumbled through his tears. "He's out there by himself in the darkness without his father to protect him. I should have been there to protect him. He won't trust anyone else, he's been hurt to much already to rely on others any more..."

Shikaku felt his own heart tensing as he listened to Iruka's barely coherent mumbling and he couldn't help but feel the man's words tearing away at his own heart as well. It was upsetting to know that a child could go through so much pain and loneliness for so long, especially when you knew that it was your own fellow Konoha shinobi and villagers that were inflicting such a cruel punishment. How could anyone be so blind to such a simple truth? How could they not see the difference between a monster and an innocent child, a child that had endured an unimaginable cruelty because of the ignorance of others?

"Don't worry Iruka, I won't tell anyone else about what we've discussed tonight. It will stay between you and me."

Iruka nodded his head gratefully. He knew that if anyone found out that Naruto was the primary target for the attack, the boy would be in more trouble than they could ever imagine. The council would no doubt be eager to find a reason to put his son to death, or even worse, and this was the perfect excuse to do so. He didn't want to see his son suffer because of being blamed for putting others in harms way, even though he really did nothing wrong to deserve such blame.

"Thanks Shikaku..."

As the last vestiges of glowing sunlight finally disappeared behind the horizon, the tears of a father for his son finally dried away, as the two men made their way back to the others that were waiting. It would be a long night for them all and they would need their rest if they wanted to be ready for the coming days.

--

"Nggghhh!!!!! Where.... where am I?"

Two heavy blue eyes began to pry themselves open painfully, reeling in the agony that now encumbered the young boy's body. As Naruto searched around the area with his blurring vision, he couldn't help but notice that he was no longer on the mountain path where he had just been battling. He slowly began to sit himself up, despite the pain he felt in his body, before searching around to see that he was now on the shore of a riverbank in a part of the forest he didn't recognise.

He quickly searched his surrounding environment, but he couldn't even find a trace of the mountain that he was travelling on, with it having long since disappeared from view. "How... how did I get here?" Suddenly something in the boy's mind snapped, causing him to quickly rise to his feet.

"Where's Ryuukimi? A.... and Hinata?" Naruto searched around frantically for his two missing friends, but they were nowhere in sight and his heart was now beginning to race in fear. He quickly stumbled forward on his legs and began to make his way along the side of the stream.

"Ryuukimi!?!?!?!?! Hinata!?!?!?! Where are you!?!?!??!" The young boy continued along his self imposed path despite the pain his body was in.

The cold night air began to seep into his skin without remorse while being absorbed by his still sopping clothes. The young boy quickly pulled his arms around himself in an attempt to stay warm, but it did little to stem his quivering. He had also lost his backpack, along with any hope of a dry change of clothes or even a simple shelter and the ones he was wearing were already slightly torn and tattered, exposing parts of his skin to the harsh elements.

"Ryuukimi!!!!!! Dad!!!!!!!!! Anyone!!!!" He called out again, his voice becoming little more than a desperate rasping sound. "Please... where are you? You can't leave me!!!" After wondering for a few more moments, exhaustion finally had it's way with Naruto as he collapsed to the floor, his quivering legs no longer being able to support his body.

The young boy tried to pick himself up again, but his body was now too weak to even respond. He didn't even know how he managed to survive everything that had taken place, but now he was alone again and he knew that it was only a matter of time before their attackers found him.

"Please... buddy... you said you would stay with me. You said you wouldn't leave me alone..."

Naruto curled up into a ball on the ground, trying his best to resist the cold that embraced him. He didn't even know what happened to his father, or his other friend, or even his classmates. What if they were all dead? What if he was all alone again? Would anyone come looking for him? Would they even care if he was gone? Naruto just tightened up even more, trying his best to protect himself from freezing to death, with only the warmth of his own body and the calm of sleep to comfort him. He knew he had to survive, he had to find his father and his friends, no matter what. He had to make sure they were alright.

After a few more minutes had passed, Naruto's fatigue finally began to overcome his small body and he could no longer keep his eyes open. His breathing eventually began to steady and his body began to relax, allowing the comfort of sleep to enrapture him in its soothing embrace. Only his shivers remained as he lay in the darkness alone, completely at the mercy of nature.

--

Now the real battle for survival begins for the academy students, while a desperate race against time gets underway. Who will find the missing children first...  
Hehehe. Sorry for giving you guys another cliffhanger, but this one isn't as bad as the last one! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!! ^ ^

**Notes:**

******"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!!!"** = Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!!!  
**"Tenpo! Amatsu no Saiden!!!!"** = Heavenly Art! Heaven's Sanctuary!!!

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	29. Chapter 29 Lost

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Hey everyone, I managed to get this one out a lot quicker than the last one. I'm pretty happy about that!!! XD Anyway, this one is less action packed than the last one, but it was necessary to set the scene for what would follow. I am very satisfied with this chapter, however, because it just felt right to me when I was writing it. Naruto begins to open himself up to new feelings as well as the possibility for change...

Hope you enjoy the next chapter. ^ ^

--

**Chapter 29 - Lost**

Hey, do you think he's alive? I mean he doesn't look very good at all if you ask me. It looks like he has bruising all over his body, and his skin is pretty pale as well."

"I don't know, you idiot! Why don't you shake him and see if he wakes up?"

"No way! I'm not touching him if he's dead!"

"Man... *sigh* you two are so troublesome. He wouldn't be breathing if he was dead."

The faint traces of whispers began to sound across the cool morning air, carrying over to the sleeping form of a young boy as he lay on the gravel besides the gentle stream. Naruto's ears began to prick up as he heard the soft murmurs around him and his body began to stir in response.

"W... who's there?" He mumbled incoherently, barely load enough to hear. It was easy to tell that his voice was strained, no doubt a result of the exhaustion that had its way with him as well as the cold that gripped at the edge of his throat. The boy then began to cough profusely, trying to free his throat of debris and clear the airway to his burning lungs. Every time he coughed, however, it felt like his body was about to fall apart and the pain was numbing.

"Look... I think he's waking up..."

Naruto could feel the soft gentle caress of early morning sunlight touching against his overly sensitive skin, brushing it with a warmth that sharply contrasted with the cold ground beneath him. His body felt like it was aching in just about every place possible, especially now that the bruises and injuries he had received the night before had time to settle in, and the sun's rays now felt like fire on his skin, although the sensation was more than welcome.

Two small eyes slowly began to pry themselves open soon afterwards, revealing the blue shaded iris as they scanned the area around themselves, searching for the source of the voices that surround him. The first thing that met Naruto's gaze was a bright light, that caused him to raise his hands to shelter his vision, followed by what looked like sets of human feet. It was really hard to tell because of how blurred his vision was, but it didn't stop Naruto from tensing up.

If there was one thing he knew, it was that anyone who he didn't know was immediately regarded as an enemy, regardless of anything. He had been drawn into trusting situations far to many times and hurt because of it, so he would not allow himself to be trapped again.

"Hey, Naruto..." Naruto's eyes suddenly shot up to meat the voice that called out to him, only to see a hand reaching towards his body. The boy immediately tensed up and shot around onto his back.

**"Gaaahhhhh!!!!!"** The approaching hand immediately withdrew itself as Naruto let out a cry of panic, before backing away from the incoherent figures that were still unrecognizable by his wavering eyes.

"Leave me alone!!! Don't touch me!!!" The boy quickly backed up as far as he could until his back met what felt like the base of a tree, causing him to huddle his arms around his drawn up knees while burying his head defensively. He then began to rock his body back and forth in a gentle sway, trying to ease the pain he felt inside.

"Please... just leave me alone. I don't want... I won't let you hurt me..."

"Hey, what's gotten into you Naruto? It's just us..." Naruto suddenly froze in his idle movements and slowly began to raise his head curiously. He recognized that voice, although it sounded a lot more relaxed and concerned than he would have ever normally given it credit for.

"Naruto-kun... it's alright." Another voice followed. "We aren't going to hurt you. We're your friends..." Naruto's eyes slowly began to peel open once more, only to catch sight of a familiar face that he had feared he would never see again.

"H... Hinata...? Is that... is it really you?" The young girl just smiled warmly as she knelt down in front of him giving an affirmative nod, just in case her voice betrayed her at that moment.

She could see Naruto's expression turn from a look of nervousness to one of complete shock and relief and couldn't help but choke up at the sudden change in his eyes. She even noticed the brief flash of gold that shone back at her before quickly dissipating altogether as though it had never occurred. Naruto carefully looked Hinata over one more time, now completely oblivious to the other bodies standing not to far behind her.

It was almost as though he was still trying to convince his own heart of her wellbeing, or searching for a possible genjutsu being used to trick him. Once he was satisfied that he wasn't imagining things or being mislead, he took a deep gulp that felt like it was going to choke him before letting out a wailing sigh of relief.

"It really is you!!!" he finally beamed, allowing a smile to smother his face. "I thought I lost you... I thought you were gone forever..." Hinata just smiled in return, happy to see her closest friend was still well despite how he looked on the outside.

"Yes, I am alright Naruto. I'm still here... but... but where is Ryuukimi? I thought he would be with you as well" Naruto's smile instantly faded away into a frown once more and he curled up into himself even more.

"I... I don't know. When I woke up... he was... gone. I tried really hard to find him, but I just couldn't stay awake anymore. I couldn't find him anywhere..." Naruto then locked his eyes with Hinata's, who was now growing concerned for her friend.

"What if he doesn't come back? What... what if I've lost him for ever?" He gulped.

Naruto then dug his head back into his knees and curled up into a small ball, trying his best to ease the frustration he felt building up inside. Hinata reached out to try and ease his tension, but quickly withdrew her hand again soon afterwards, knowing that he didn't like to be touched. It was hard to watch her friend go through so much pain without being able to comfort him. Instead, all she could do was offer her gentle words to ease his pain.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, I'm sure Ryuukimi is fine. He's really strong and I'm sure he'll find us again before you know it. He is a dragon after all and they live in the wild all the time, don't they?" Naruto quickly looked up from his gaze to meet her once more and she did her best to give him a reassuring smile. It seemed to work though, because soon he was smiling back at her again.

"Yeah.... you're right. He is strong..."

"Alright guys, I'm really sorry to interrupt this happy reunion, but we really need to get back to everyone as soon as possible."

Naruto looked over Hinata to see who it was that spoke, only to catch sight of Ino standing nearby, tapping her foot impatiently. On either side of her was an equally annoyed Shikamaru, although it was probably for a different reason, and a very distracted Kiba, at least distracted by his standards. It was almost as though the young Inuzuka didn't want to look at Naruto and the blond haired boy suspected that it was his voice that had first spoken to him a few moments before. Hinata just glared back at the blond kunoichi in training, causing Ino to back up a bit and stifle her rant.

"In case you hadn't already noticed, _INO_, Naruto _**IS**_ in fact injured, so walking is out of the question at the moment! It doesn't take my Byuakugan to see that he has sustained heavy bruising, probably caused by a severe impact, and he may even have internal injuries!"

Naruto was almost taken aback by the amount of anger in the Hyuuga's voice and if it weren't for the fact that he had spent the last three months around her during his breaks, he would have been completely shocked by the sudden outburst. But Naruto knew Hinata better than most people and he also knew that there was another side to her that most people didn't see, not even her own family.

Ino just brushed the long lock of hair from that sat in front of her face and placed her hands on her hips, displaying an air of confidence that was almost convincing... almost. She was trying to act calm, but even Naruto could see that she was just as shocked as everyone else looked.

"Look, I'm sorry alright." She finally stammered, her voice betraying her emotions. "It's just this whole 'being attacked and swept up by a river to only Kami knows where' thing is getting to me a bit. However, I still think we should move as soon as possible, even if it means one of us has to carry Naruto for the time being." The said boy just paled at the suggestion, making him look even worse than before. Touching him was one thing, but carrying him....

"No, it's alright Ino..." He quickly spoke up quickly in protest. "Just give me a few minutes to recover and I should be good to go."

Ino just stared at him curiously for a few moments, wandering why he was so against being touched, before turning her gaze to Shikamaru, noting the slight nod of his head as she did. She then turned her eyes back to Naruto before letting out a deep sigh.

"Alright, we'll give it a few minutes, but after that we'll make a move whether you are ready or not. I know it sounds harsh, but if someone is still after us..."

"I understand..." Naruto cut her off again. "I'll be ready, I promise." The girl then nodded her head in silent approval before turning to face the others.

"Alright, that's settled then. In the mean time, we should try to figure out exactly where we are and go from there."

"Um, if you don't mind Naruto..." Everyone looked over to Shikamaru as he spoke up. "... I'd like to talk to the others alone for a moment. We need to plan ahead if we want to survive until we are found. I also need to take count of the equipment we have so that we can ration our supplies."

"Why can't Naruto listen as well?" Hinata protested, already growing suspicious of their motives.

"Because, it's like you said Hinata. Naruto is injured at the moment and he needs to rest as much as he can for the next few minutes. As troublesome as it is, I don't want him to undergo any unnecessary stress, whether physical or emotional, in case he hinders the group's performance."

Although the Nara's explanation did make sense - in a lazy, under-toned kind of way - Hinata still didn't like the fact that they were excluding Naruto . It just felt like that was all anyone ever did to him and she knew how it felt to be disregarded by others. She had experienced that kind of pain for quite some time now.

"Alright, fine, but I'm going to stay here and watch over Naruto-kun. You guys can fill me in later." Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement before leading the others away from the two youngsters.

"Well, I guess I should have expected that." Naruto sighed in despondence. Hinata turned to face the blond and tried her best to smile, although she didn't feel too comfortable about the whole situation herself. She knew that whatever was happening, it most certainly had something to do with her blond friend.

"Don't worry Naruto, I'm sure they're just worried about you. Maybe they're really telling the truth." Naruto just shook his head.

"No... although whether or not they are worried about me I don't actually know, what I do know is that they were definitely hiding something. I could see it in their eyes."

--

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about and what's with all the secrecy?" Ino began, gaining the attention of the two boys (and one dog) around her.

All three of them had since made their way down to the rivers edge in order to escape any possibility of anyone overhearing them and were now curiously awaiting the explanation. Shikamaru just rubbed his temples in annoyance, something that Ino knew to associate with him thinking deeply.

Although most would think that she and the young Nara were nothing more than an annoyance to one another, they actually had a strange friendship that most wouldn't understand or even dare to try and comprehend lest they suffer a migraine for their efforts. The two understood each other in a very weird kind of way and she knew when something was bothering him, even if he didn't show any other outward signs of his discomfort that wouldn't merely be mistaken for a bored sigh.

"Ino, you remember what happened the other night don't you? You know, when we were all sitting around the fire with our parents? Naruto and Iruka were there with us as well."

Ino just nodded her head in confirmation, while Kiba watched on in silent confusion. He didn't know what was really going on, so he decided it was best to just listen, something that was definitely not in his usual list of known behavioral patterns. But, then again, these weren't your usual circumstances either. Even Akamaru yipped in annoyance, but was quickly hushed by his companion.

"Yes I do remember." Came the reply. "In fact, now that I think about it, Naruto was quiet most of the night. The only person he ever spoke to was Iruka-sensei and that small dragon of his."

"Yes that's right, I also remember that." Shikamaru concurred. "What else did you notice?" Ino seemed to think on the question for a moment before finally answering.

"Oh yeah, when your dad was handing out the fish for all of us to eat, Naruto went all weird and stuff. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack as soon as Shikaku-san got near him." Shikamaru just nodded his head.

"Bingo. That's exactly what I'm talking about. The thing is, it looks like Naruto doesn't like to be touched at all, in fact it almost seems as though he outright avoids human contact all together if he can help it. Even just now, he panicked as soon as one of us tried to approach him and he got nervous when you suggested he be carried because of his injuries." Ino just scratched the base of her chin in thought, trying to absorb everything she was being told.

"Well, that could have just been a coincidence as well. I mean it could also be because of his wounds. Maybe he's just in pain and he doesn't want his injuries to be aggravated unnecessarily."

"No I... I don't think so..." This time, it was Kiba who had spoken up. "Yesterday... Naruto and I... well we kinda got into a bit of an.... argument..." He lied shamefully.

"My mom got kinda angry because she thought he started it, but as soon as she got close to him to reprimand him, he seemed to react the same way. I think he might actually be... afraid... of being touched, or maybe there's something else to it."

Kiba's words were unusually soft for the usually rowdy Inuzuka and the slight traces of guilt could easily be made out in his expression, which was something that definitely surprised the two listening to him. Shikamaru just absorbed the new information like a neglected sponge and then turned back to Ino again, already deducing his own hypothesis on the situation.

"I asked my old man about it the next day after that and he tried to explain it to me, although it was really confusing and I was too tired to actually listen to him properly. Ino, have you heard of the condition known as Haphophobia?" Ino nodded her head.

"Yeah, my dad makes me learn a lot about human psychology in the evenings after school. He said that our family jutsu rely on the extensive knowledge of the human mind so I have to know a lot about that kind of stuff."

"Well, I think that is what Naruto may be suffering from, or at least that's what the old man said. Care to explain it to us." Ino just nodded her head enthusiastically. It wasn't often she had people relying on her abilities and she wasn't about to lose her moment to shine.

"Alright, listen carefully!" She ordered boastfully, before giving them the textbook explanation that had been stuck at the back of her mind.

"Haphophobia is a rare specific phobia that involves the fear of touching other people or of being touched by other people. It's normally an exaggeration of a person's natural tendency to protect their own personal space or wellbeing and may even extend to withdrawing from people whom its sufferers know well, including family. Although most cases are less severe, with the victim simply becoming uncomfortable when coming into physical contact with someone else, and normally being more focussed on the opposite sex, some extreme cases may result in complete self isolation, where the victim takes drastic measures to avoid human contact all together."

Ino then took a small breath, while allowing everyone present to process the information she had given them so far, before continuing.

"The causes of this phobia can be numerous and the resulting symptoms are mostly related to the cause, but the most severe cases are usually a result of either extreme emotional trauma, whether caused by an accident or otherwise, or often even..."

At that point, Ino's enthusiasm quickly fell away and her smile disappeared outright. Both Kiba and Shikamaru noticed her sudden drop in mood as well as the brief pause in her explanation.

"... or even.... even physical abuse..." She finally concluded, with an unusually heavy breath. "But... you don't think... he... that wouldn't have happened would it?" Shikamaru just let out a deep sigh, before shaking his head wearily, confirming the likely situation for them both.

"Remember the bruises and cuts he used to come into class with every day? The blood he used to have on his clothes as well? Remember how he would get to the academy late almost every morning and how he would even fall asleep during the lessons from exhaustion? You don't think that there was something suspicious about it?"

Ino just felt her heart sink into her stomach and even Kiba seemed to cringe at the mention of those words. Akamaru's whimpering was the only real audible reaction amongst them at the time, although it was enough to 'speak' for all of them. Of course, child abuse was something they had heard of before and it was also something that they were taught about in their early school careers, but seeing what was possibly a live example of such an act was much harder to swallow than mere words from a textbook.

"I... I always thought... I just didn't realize..." The blond continued to stutter.

"You mean you didn't think about that before? Didn't you even notice?!?!" All three of them jumped at the sudden arrival of a new voice in their midst, before turning to see Hinata standing amongst them.

"H... Hinata, what are you doing here? I thought you were over with Naruto." Ino gaped.

Hinata just ignored the question, instead opting to stare belatedly at the other three in front of her. The girl didn't seem to be surprised or even fazed by their odd reaction to her presence though, mostly because she was already used to going by unnoticed by those around her. Instead she simply reiterated her growing annoyance.

"Did you guys really think that he was just getting himself into trouble all the time?" This time, her words were laced with a lot more venom than any of them would have thought possible for the usually timid Hyuuga heiress.

"Well... I don't know..." Ino stammered in response. "It's just, he always seemed to be such a trouble maker before, so I just thought..."

"So you just decided that instead of trying to ask him what was going on, instead of trying to actually help him, you thought it was better to just assume that he was the one to blame..."

This was not a question and the amount of animosity floating in the air was almost tangible. Hinata's exasperated glare wasn't helping the matter either and it was almost frightening how absent her usually gentle nature actually was. It was like seeing a cornered tigress fighting to protect her cubs from harm, only in this case it was Naruto being defended.

"And... and then you all wonder why exactly he doesn't seem to trust anyone anymore. I think it's obvious that he's been let down too much for that to happen easily. I mean... what kind of adult... what kind of human being... do you think would do that to someone, to a... a kid, even if they were causing trouble? I know my father can act coldly sometimes, especially towards me, but even still he has never done anything like that, whether as a punishment or not. That kind of behavior is reserved for beasts, not for human beings that should be looking after someone..."

The lavender eyed girl then turned on her heels and began to make her way back to where Naruto was waiting, allowing her words to sink in. She paused only briefly to look back at them once more with a hardened glare, but one that softened into a frown as she began to speak solemnly one last time.

"I... I used to see him cry during our break times you know." She whispered softly. "He used to sit on the swing in the playgrounds and just cry by himself. All everyone else could do was laugh at him and call him names, but no-one ever cared about how it made him feel to hurt alone like that, with no-one there to help him and pick him up from the dirt."

_'No-one cared how it made me feel either...'_

She then set on her way again, leaving the three other youngsters to their thoughts. Shikamaru, Kiba and Ino all watched on with heavy frowns as she sat down closely next to Naruto and whispered something into his ear, causing the blond's body to relax somewhat. Whatever it was that she said, it was obviously done so to comfort him and it seemed to have the desired result.

"Hey, how come she can get so lose to him?" Kiba gawked, pointing a shaking finger towards the two youngsters. Shikamaru just let out a deep sigh.

"Maybe it's because he actually trusts her. After all, out of all of us, it seems like she's the only one who actually tried to find out what was wrong. She's the only one who tried to get close to him..."

The Nara then turned to look up towards the oncoming flow of the stream, realizing that this would cause a lot more problems for them if something wasn't done about it soon. They would need Naruto's trust if they wanted to all work as a team and survive, but now that seemed to be out of reach, especially for them. Even one weak link would be enough to break the chain that bound them together if it wasn't fixed quickly and trust was an important bond between teammates. Unfortunately, it seemed that a bitter rust had formed around Naruto's trust in others and it was something that may have already been to late to mend.

"This is all so troublesome..."

--

"Iruka, everything has been arranged for the return trip. All that's left to do is wait for the ANBU to arrive..."

Iruka turned to face the voice that addressed him, taking note of a weary Choza as he approached the scarred chunin for his report. The young man simply gave a nod of approval and a deep sigh. To say that they were tired was an understatement and it was clearly visible on all of their faces just how much sleep they all had, or lack of thereof.

After waiting a few more minutes thereafter a number of cloaked figures suddenly arrived on the scene, each bearing a mask that bore the insignia of a different animal and a tattoo on the upper arm. One of them quickly ran up to Iruka's location and gave a short bow of courtesy.

"We got here as soon as we could Umino-san. What is the situation?" The said chunin quickly turned in his stead, until his entire body was facing the masked man.

"It's good that you arrived here as quickly as you did ANBU-san. So far, there have been no casualties that we know of and most of the children and parents are safe. However, some did go missing during the attack and their condition is still unknown at this point in time."

The ANBU nodded his head in understanding. "It is good to see that it did not turn out worse than it did. We will start moving the group back to Konoha within the hour and then we can begin our search for the missing students. I will leave some ANBU for you..."

"No..." Iruka cut him off.

"As it currently sits, we still run the risk of another attack and the enemy's position is unknown. Furthermore, the situation is more complex than that. I want all of the ANBU to escort the remaining parents and students back to the village. I will organize a search party with whoever else wants to volunteer to come with me. You, however, will personally travel ahead of the group and inform the Hokage of the situation as it stands, but I want you to also tell him that the Yondaime's legacy is at risk. He will know what I mean and he will also know what to do. It is of the utmost important that you make haste in this matter."

The ANBU just stared curiously for a brief moment, or at least what seemed like curiosity considering the expressionless masks, but eventually gave his consent.

"Very well, but who will be joining you on your search?"

"We will..." Both men turned to face the source of the announcement, only to see Shikaku, Choza, Inoichi and Kioshi approaching them. The scarred chunin couldn't help but smile before giving a grateful bow. He already knew that they wouldn't pass this up, but was still grateful for their readiness to help.

"I will come as well..." This time, it was Hiashi that spoke up and he quickly joined the group of would be rescuers with a stern frown. Iruka shared a brief glance with the Hyuuga clan head, noting the concerned expression on the otherwise stoic face, before settling his eyes back onto the rest of the group.

"Alright, that makes six of us so far. If anyone else wants to join, now is the time to speak." At that moment, Tsume Inuzuka, Itachi Uchiha and Shibi Abarume all stepped forward as well, neither one saying anything but all bearing the same objective clearly in their expressions.

Iruka knew that none of them would leave their children to wander alone and lost without sparing any effort to find them and it was comforting to know that they were all so ready to endanger themselves to save their loved ones. Although it was usually expected of a parent or relative to do so, not all families were so caring of their own young, that much was certain...

"Alright, that's everyone then. As soon as the others heads back to the village, we'll set off. Until then it would be a good idea to get anything you think you may need for this mission and leave behind whatever might weigh you down. We may be out for days, possibly even up to weeks if things don't go well, so we need to be prepared."

After that, the large group of stragglers slowly began to make there way back down the mountain path and towards the safety of the village. It would be a two day trek back to Konoha with the pace of the students, perhaps even longer if any of them sustained more debilitating injuries such as sprained ankles or torn ligaments. Once they were no longer in sight, Iruka turned to face his new audience and set about making a plan to commence their search.

"Alright, now we know that whoever attacked us was obviously trying to separate us from the academy students that they were targeting. The obvious reason for this was to isolate them from our protection and place them in a position that leaves them more vulnerable to attack. We still don't know exactly what they intend to do once they find them, whether it is to capture them or just kill them, but what we do know is that it is a dangerous situation regardless."

Iruka then turned to Shikaku, who was listening intently from the sidelines. "Is there anything you would recommend for this operation Shikaku?" The said Nara just nodded his head before standing address the rest of he group. It was well known that he was an expert tactician and strategist and any opinion he would grant to them would be gladly accepted and highly valued.

"Well, the obvious way to start out would be to try and find a trail to follow. Searching blindly will not only waste precious time unnecessarily, but it will also put us in more danger of running into a precarious situation. The ideal scenario would be for us to intercept our attackers before they reach the students at all and deal with them without any risk of harm to our children. Tsume, it would be wise for us to try and find a scent to track if possible." Tsume just growled under her breath, signifying her obvious annoyance.

"I already tried that last night, but our enemies have covered their tracks very well it seams. They were obviously expecting their present company because they would have never been able to plan so acutely otherwise. In addition to that, I can't follow any of our children's scents either, because they all end at the cliff's edge. The water would have washed away any other hope of finding a trail, especially if they were carried far by the stream." Shikaku nodded his head in understanding before resuming his analysis.

"Then the only other option would be to follow the path of the stream. If any of our kids washed up onto the river's edge, we should be able to find at least some kind of trail further own. It's the only other lead we have right now."

Everyone seemed to agree with the plan and it was decided soon afterwards to leave immediately to begin the search. They only stopped briefly in order to go through the travelling formation they would be using, with Shikaku addressing the entire group one last time.

"Alright I think the best positioning to take would be to have Tsume and Kuromaru leading the front of the group. If we come across anything suspicious, or happen upon a particularly interesting scent, she will be able to warn us sooner. Itachi and Shibi will take the left and right flank respectively, with Shibi using his insects and Itachi using his Sharingan to scan the perimeter for any clues using their maximum coverage area."

Shikaku drew a quick breath in his explanation, allowing himself the relief to his burning lungs, before continuing.

"Hiashi will take the rear end of the formation and use his Byuakugan to watch over the rest of the group, while also keeping an eye on our immediate surroundings in case of enemy attacks. Because of his all round vision, he will also be the only one watching our rear end as well, so any warning from him is to be prioritized as urgent, especially if we're expecting the enemy to ambush us. Other than that the rest of us will take positions in amongst the inner shell between the rest of you so that we can act on any other position if need be or if we fall under enemy attack."

Everyone accepted the plan without so much as a single complaint or protest, with none of them daring to argue about their respective jobs assigned to them. After all, if anyone knew how to get things done efficiently it was Shikaku Nara and his genius was renowned even amongst a village of so many talents.

"Now remember, the enemy isn't looking for us specifically, so we have the initiative right now, but they are no doubt expecting us to act regardless, so be prepared for anything. Haste is of the utmost importance at this point in time if we want to avoid the worst, but caution is just as necessary as well."

Once the plan was set in motion, everyone made off to find the missing students, following the flow of the stream in the hopes of finding any trace of their charges. It didn't take long for the group to fall silent soon afterwards, with everyone solely focussed on their new objective. As they made there way through the trees that followed along the rivers edge, Shikaku made his way up to Iruka's position and settled to the chunin's pace, travelling side by side with the younger scarred man. Iruka quickly turned his head to face the approaching visitor and let out a deep sigh, before turning his vision forward again.

"So, do you really think we will find them if we follow the river?" Shikaku just smiled faintly, while still keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings.

"Well to be honest, if our kids are smart, they would stay as far away from the river as possible. After all, we aren't the only ones searching for them, so it would be best for them to make themselves scarce." Iruka just nodded his head knowingly, even though he didn't expect his gesture to be noticed.

"It's ironic isn't it?" The chunin finally replied, allowing a brief chuckle to escape his lips, although it was only half hearted at best. "We want to find them as quickly as possible, but at the same time we want them to remain hidden. It's a strange coinsidence that we don't want them to be found and yet we, ourselves, are searching for them." Shikaku aslo began to laugh softly as he thought about the chunin's words and the implications behind them.

It was, indeed, an cruel irony when one thought on it and it was made even worse by the fact that they were actually expecting, or rather hoping, for this to be hard. After a few moments of subtle relief through words, the two fell silent again, both returning to their once grim expressions once more. It was another few minutes before Iruka finally spoke up again.

"Do you... do you think they'll be alright?" The chunin finally murmured again. Shikaka just nodded his head before replying in a near whisper.

"Yeah, I think they'll be fine. They are a lot stronger than we give them credit for and they have strong parents that taught them as well. Out of all the students in the academy, I think it would be those nine who would give those bastards the most problems. To underestimate them would be a tragic mistake on anyone's part. In fact, I think that they have the most chance of surviving out of anyone."

Iruka allowed a brief smile to emanate off the edge of his lips. He knew Shikaku wasn't just saying that to make him feel better, because it was all very true. All of them were the children of some of Konoha's most renowned shinobi clans and all of them had extensive training in their family jutsu styles. Even Shikamaru had his father's genius to rely on, although he was mostly too lazy to display any effort regarding that area.

Naruto was strong as well, that much was certain, and even he was tied to an ancient lineage that no-one would have ever expected upon first meeting the boy. Even though the young blond didn't realize it himself, he was a lot stronger and more capable than people gave him credit for and Iruka knew that he would not allow anyone else to get hurt if he could help it. It was a strange scenario indeed, where the object of the village's hate would end up being the one who would try his best to protect everyone around him, even those who didn't deserve it.

His spirit was not twisted in the way the cruel villagers that condemned him had hoped and although it was indeed fragile and fractured, it still stood firmly against everything they tried to make him out to be. He still retained his humanity even though he was treated otherwise, or maybe.... just maybe... it was something even more than that...

--

"Alright, it's time to get moving now. Naruto... are you good to go?" The young blond quickly looked up as Ino, Shikamaru and Kiba made their way back to where he and Hinata were waiting.

"Yeah, I guess it's time to get up now." He then pressed his hands against the floor and began to lift himself up off the ground while everyone else watched carefully.

"Nggghhh!!!!" Hinta quickly jumped up to help him as he let out a small wince of pain, but quickly withdrew when he held out his hand to stop her. "No... don't, I'll be alright. I've just been sitting still for too long, that's all."

The boy then stumbled to his feet, while using the tree behind him as a pillar of support. After taking a few deep breaths he started to cough violently again, much to his own bodies protests. The others could only watch helplessly as he emptied his lungs of debris, but what was really concerning was the fact that it wasn't just dust or water that exited his mouth. There was blood as well.

"Naruto... are you sure you are alright?" Ino queried. "I mean, if your lungs were damaged internally, it might be too dangerous for you to be..." Naruto just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, I actually heal pretty quickly. I just need some time to get back on my feet, but we don't have time to worry about my health, because as long as we stay here, all of us are in danger." Shikamaru just nodded his head in agreement.

"We should get moving as soon as possible if we want to avoid being found by our attackers. I took stock of our supplies and I must say that things are looking grim. We only have two kunai and shuriken between the five of us and a few meters of steel wiring. Other than that, I have some explosive notes packed away in a waterproof container, so they managed to survive my troublesome encounter with the stream and Hinata has some healing salve for any wounds we may aquire." The Nara then turned his gaze over to Naruto, who was already looking a lot better than he did a few minutes before. The bruises on his body were already starting to fade away and his posture was improving as well.

"Naruto, do you have anything on you that managed to survive unscathed?" The blond just nodded his head before digging into his pocket, only to retrieve four ration bars that still managed to somehow remain intact.

"This is all I have left from my pack, the rest got swept away by the stream. You guys should eat before we leave if you want to have enough energy." The boy then handed out one bar to Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata and Kiba respectively, gaining curious glances from them in return.

"But what about you?" Kiba enquired with a heavy gulp. He was still feeling guilty over what happened the previous day and accepting Naruto's gift of food made him feel even worse, although he was really hungry. He found it strange and somewhat surprising that the very boy he had tried to attack the previous day was so willing to help him in a time of need. Was this the Naruto he had failed to notice before now...?

"I'm fine." Naruto assured them. "I had one earlier while you guys were talking." Of course, this was all a lie. The truth was, he was actually starving, but he would not allow himself to eat while someone else went hungry.

"Hurry up and eat it already." He finally pleaded, throwing off their curious glances with an exasperated sigh. "I already said I'm fine so don't worry about me..." The boy then left abruptly and made his way from the group, travelling towards the edge of the stream and taking a small drink from the water with cupped hands.

The other four shared a few estranged glances between one another before finally tucking into their makeshift meals. It wasn't much by any means but it most certainly helped regardless. Kiba even shared some of his own helping with Akamaru, who gratefully accepted the bite sized morsel with an approving yap. Only Hinata left hers untouched and quickly made her way down to where Naruto was sitting at the edge of the stream. She promptly landed next the young blond and opened her wrapper, before breaking the bar in half and offering a share to him. Naruto just stared at her curiously.

"Here... I know you must be hungry as well and you are also injured. All of us need to be strong and ready to move and we can't have you collapsing from exhaustion." Naruto was about to open his mouth to protest, but Hinata quickly silenced him with a raised hand and a stern expression. Today was just full of surprises.

"And don't think I'm going to buy that nonsense about you having eaten already. I'm your friend Naruto and I know you well enough to know you always put others before yourself, even if it means disregarding your own well-being. But if you really want to help everyone, you also have to help yourself first, otherwise you are never going to be able to protect them."

Naruto just gaped like an overgrown fish for a few moments, surprised by the gentle yet stern wisdom in Hyuuga's voice, before shutting his mouth once more. He slowly reached out with a slightly shaking hand, more from a lack of energy than anything else, and then took the offer with a grateful smile.

"T... thanks Hinata..." he mumbled gratefully, before setting into consuming the bar slowly.

Hinata quickly plonked herself down next to him and began to eat her own share as well, taking brief glances over to the boy beside her to make sure he finished his meal without problems. It was then that she noticed the small glimmer of gold in his eyes as he stared at the glimmering ripples of the water's surface as well as what looked like a small smile on the corner of his lips. It was hardly noticeable, but this time she was sure she wasn't imagining things and the warmth she felt at the time was immensely comforting.

But instead of asking him about it, she simply let the moment pass. After all, if Naruto wanted her to know about anything, he would have told her already, so instead she allowed him to open up in his own time. She knew that there were some things that were too difficult and painful to reveal, no matter how much trust was formed between two people, and she would not push him for answers ahead of his time to give them. Besides, the silence shared between them was all hey needed right now and it was comforting just being in his presence, to know that someone cared for you so much without expecting anything in return.

_'Naruto... what is it that makes you so easy to be around? Why are you the only one who makes me feel happy?'_

After a few minutes had passed the two eventually finished their meals and were joined shortly afterwards by Ino, shikamaru and Kiba. Naruto and Hinata quickly picked themselves up off the floor to meet them, before they began to discuss their plans.

"Alright..." Shikamaru began, taking an unusual amount of charge over the situation for the usually lazy boy. "I think it's obvious that we should move away from here as soon as possible. If we can travel up against the flow of the stream, we should be able to find the rest of our group even quicker. If they are already looking for us, then it will make it that much easier to regroup with them as well." All of them seemed to agree with the plan, although Naruto seemed a bit distant at the time. After a few brief moments of silence, the blond eventually spoke up.

"I... I think we should move as far away from the stream as possible. It would be better if we headed further inland and then travelled up once we're far enough."

"What do you mean?" Ino gaped. "That means it will be even harder for our parents to find us."

"That's the point." Naruto answered quickly, gaining a curious glance from the other blond.

"He's right..." Shikamaru finally interrupted. "If we stick to the river, it would make it easier for us to be found, but it will also make us even more vulnerable to attack as well. If our pursuers are still looking for us, following the river would be the first thing they would do to find us. We should head further into the forest as Naruto suggested and use the woods as a cover while we are travelling."

"But then how do our parents find us then?" This time it was Hinata that spoke up and it was a rather valid question as well.

"We could always leave them a trail..." Kiba interceded. "If my mom is with them, then she'll be able to pick up our scent and follow it to us. I could have Akamaru mark our tracks from the edge of the river so that if they come across this section, they'll be able to follow us in." Shikamaru just shook his head.

"No... although that is a really good idea, it would be far too obvious and our enemies would be able to follow it as well. We need something more subtle, something only our parents or a loyal Konoha-nin would notice."

Everyone seemed to think on the problem for a moment, each trying to come up with an answer to their situation, but none succeeding. After a few moments, Naruto suddenly perked up again and gained their attention with a small grin.

"I think I might know a way. It's a long shot, but if it works, it would be something only my dad would notice, or at least I hope so." Everyone turned to face the blue eyed boy with curious eyes, wondering what exactly he had in mind.

The boy simply walked over to a lone tree standing at the river's edge and began to run his hands over the surface of the bark, allowing it to tickle the surface of his hands Shikamaru quickly walked up to his side and watched his strange interaction.

"What are you going to do Naruto?" The boy didn't answer and instead began to close his eyes.

He then pressed his hand against the surface of the tree and began to increase the flow of his life force, allowing it to leave his fingertips and travel into the other living form that touched against his skin. Everyone watched in astounded wonder as the leaves on the tree began to liven up, turning a deeper shade of green than they had been before. Even the bark itself seemed to grow less brittle and more youthful, adopting a leathery smoothness that seemed younger for its otherwise obvious age. Flowers also began to bloom in amongst the otherwise colourless branches and glowed with vibrance in the slowly increasing sunlight.

After a short moment, Naruto then removed his hand from the tree's surface, before stumbling on his feet. Everyone quickly moved to catch him from falling, but he managed to right himself before they could get to him. After correcting his stance once more, he turned around to face the others, only to notice the bewildered expression on their faces.

"H... how did you do that?" Ino mumbled, her voice laced with both wonder and curiosity. "I mean I don't remember learning any gardening super growth jutsu in the academy..." She added sarcastically. "And believe me, if there were such a thing, I would now about it, what with running the flower shop during the afternoons and all." Naruto just shrugged his shoulders while drawing short, heavy breaths to stem his sudden exhaustion.

"I guess... I've just always been able to do this." He panted, trying to find the best excuse that wouldn't reveal his bloodline to them. "I left some of my... essence, I guess you could say... in that tree. It's something only I can do though, so hopefully my dad notices it if he comes here. He should know that it was me who did it and it may allow whoever is looking for us to maybe pick up our trail."

"And you're sure no-one else will be able to pick it up?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto just nodded his head in response before speaking in a near whisper.

"Not unless they know me really well. It's... it's something that only my dad and I share with one another. It's a bond only he would notice..." The blond then turned to face the top of the stream, or at least as far as his eyes would allow.

"I just hope he's coming, otherwise I don't know what to do. I can only hope he notices it..."

After that, everyone began to make there way into the forest, travelling away from the edge of the stream and into the safety of the trees. Ino turned to look back at Naruto as he and Hinata strolled next to one another. The boy seemed to be searching the area around himself very intently and she suspected that he was still trying to find his missing companion, or at least any signs of his presence. Naruto had been a source of many surprises over the last few days and they just seemed to keep on coming as time went by.

First it as the miracle of his water walking and then the fact that he managed to walk up the vertical edge of a tree, all the while defying the laws of gravity. Add to that what she had just witnessed him performing a few moments before, as well as the intelligence he displayed despite his apparent lack of skill he had always shown at the academy and you had one very curious Yamanaka on your hands.

"You know Naruto, I never saw you as someone who was so smart. I mean, you came up with some pretty good ideas back there and it was really impressive to witness. I never expected you to be so knowledgeable before now." Naruto just looked up to his fellow blond with heavy eyes, but ones that did little to hide his tension, or his disdain.

"Maybe that's because you just never took the time to look properly before..." He finally snapped back. Both Hinata and Ino were slightly taken aback by the unusually cold responce, but Naruto quickly diverted his eyes back to the floor in shame. "I... I'm sorry Ino, I shouldn't have..."

"No..." Ino cut him off. "You're right... I guess I wasn't looking properly. Maybe it's time I started paying more attention to the people around me instead of what I assume to be true." Naruto was taken by surprise by her words, completely shocked by the sudden revelation.

He had expected to be scolded or even shouted at outright, much like he had been in the past, but never had he thought that she would so readily accept such a fault in her own actions. Even Kiba and Shikamaru spared a curious glance back at them, almost as though they were expecting the world to turn upside down at any moment now. The blond haired Yamanaka quickly turned her attention forward once more, completely refocussing on the area around her and the path they had set out.

Although most would see Ino as nothing more than a simple girl with single minded goals, that usually revolved around a certain dark haired Uchiha, she could definitely be serious when she wanted to be. This was one of those moments where she surprised everyone and it was also the first time Naruto had seen this side of her. After all, she may have been dense, but she wasn't stupid and she knew when she made a mistake despite how hard it may have been for her to admit it.

The rest of that time was spent in eerie silence, as the group made there way deeper into the shroud of trees that made up the looming canopy of the forrest. They would need to find a way through the dense countryside as quickly as possible if they wanted to find their way home and they would need to be prepared for any dangers that might be waiting for them. Naruto could only hope that they would happen upon a certain small dragon before they moved too far away from the stream.

_'Ryuukimi... buddy... I hope we find you soon. I hope you're alright...'_

--

If anyone is wondering where Ryuukimi is, well you will just have to read the next chapter and maybe find out. I'm not gonna tell you anything!!! Muahahaha... Muahahahahahaha!!!! *Cough* X_X

Yes, Hinata is a bit OOC in this chapter, but I really don't feel like following the same formula that just about every other Naruto fanfic adheres to. Anyway, a new battle starts in the next chapter so things will spice up a little more from then on!!!! Hope you enjoyed!!! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	30. Chapter 30 Guardian Angel

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Hey everyone!!! It is now the 30th chapter in my epic length story and it's still got a long way to go. I have also now officially passed the '100 000 hits' mark as well (and still going strong) so I guess this is cause for double celebration!!! XD

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who have been faithful readers so far and to all those who have taken the time to review my story. I appreciate the support and the feedback, because that is what makes writing all the more worth it. I would also like to thank my beta reader, Kiiroi Senko, for all the advice with Japanese translations and for helping me keep direction on the story and bearing the brunt of my increasingly growing list of ideas.

There are other names that I'd like to mention as well, but there are too many to really list here, so I'll just say thanks to you guys personally in a PM when I can. Although I will say that I appreciate your feedback and support and for those who have consistently reviewed my story, I really appreciate your efforts.

I hope you have all enjoyed the story up until this point, because it isn't over yet!!! Here's to another 30 chapters (or more)!!! So, as a gift or all of your support and to celebrate the 30th chapter of my story, I present to you... um... my next chapter I guess!!! XD

Hope you enjoy the next chapter!!! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 30 - Guardian Angel**

* * *

_-Forgotten Innocence-_

_A gentle solemn whisper carries into the cold uncaring night of heartfelt pain and sorrow,  
tears of anguish flow in a glimmering gentle stream longing for the hope of a better tomorrow.  
Loneliness and despair, blood and pain, only the harsh comfort of cruel fists are offered in his plight,  
for a child's journey into darkness' depths, there are no angels to carry his battered body through the cold, dreadful night._

_A small hand reaches out for help crying for an angels grace, but even still no one comes to claim him,  
the young boy's soul is left to crumble alone, with nothing more than a shattered innocence within.  
Tiny, grasping fingers are tread upon by cold uncaring shoes, and the hand that begs for mercy is denied,  
no-one ever cared how much he hurt or pained, or tried to wipe away the tears he cried.  
A little fallen angel's wings are torn and broken asunder, and no longer yearn to spread themselves and fly,  
they finally give up and surrender to the overwhelming pain and despair, waiting for the final moment to die._

_-By Sincere Naruto-_

* * *

_"To protect the ones I love... the ones who saved me from that darkness, I will accept even death itself. No amount of pain that I might endure for their sakes will ever compare to that empty loneliness I felt without them by my side..." **-Naruto Uzumaki-**_

* * *

As the last remnants of sunlight slipped away beneath the canopy of trees a small group of youngsters slowly make there way through the forest's depths, searching for their way home. It had been some time since the five of them had set out away from the river's edge and it was now nearing nightfall once more, with the first glimmering sparkles of starlight already beginning to dot across the sky.

Shikamaru took a brief glance through the heavy shroud of leaves above him, noting the failing light, and quickly paused in his tracks at the head of the group, bringing the rest of the small formation to a standstill and gaining their attention.

"Alright, I think we should stop here for the night." The dark haired boy sighed. "This clearing will provide as good a place as any to set up a camp and we may not come across another opportunity. It won't do us any good to push ourselves too hard."

The young Nara then turned his attention to Naruto and Hinata, stifling a small disgruntled sigh as he noticed the heavy and warn expression on both of their faces, but he was still pleased to note that the young blond of the two was looking much better than before, although he still looked a little worse for wear. Then again, no-one really appeared at their best at this point in time, in fact they were looking far from it.

All of them sported numerous scratches and scuff marks along their arms and legs and their clothes were tattered and frayed from brushing up against the twigs and rocks they traversed between. Anyone happening upon them would swear that they had just been through a maize of thorns by the tears in their clothes and Naruto himself wasn't looking any better than his companions. Even Ino's normally immaculate appearance was now marred by the marks of dirt and mud and her hair looked like it had just been on the losing end of a battle with a tornado.

"Naruto, Hinata... " the dark haired boy began again, gaining the said youngsters' attention. "... I would like for you two to fetch us some firewood if you don't mind. Kiba and I will try to find us some food in the meantime. With his tracking skills, we should be able to find at least some kind of game to hunt, even if it's nothing but stupid rabbit again."

"What about me?" Ino enquired, a little but more than upset at being left out, even though she really didn't mind avoiding the hassles of physical labour.

"You can stay here and set up a usable camp site while we are gone." Shikamaru replied wearily. "If we're lucky, there should be some useful debris lying around that you can make use of. We'll need at least some kind of shelter for the fire to block out the light from travelling too far so we can avoid detection and we may also need to set up a perimeter of traps or early warning systems in case we are found."

After that, everyone set out to their assigned tasks, with Hinata and Naruto heading out together into the woods, while Shikamaru and Kiba went in the opposite direction. It was little more than half an hour when the former two arrived back in the clearing only to find a small structure sitting in the centre made up with twigs. Ino was busy pulling some leaves over its base in order to create a make-shift lamp shade to help lessen the amount of light coming from the flames while leaving a small circle of rocks in the centre to contain the wood for the fire.

"Well, it looks like you've got things covered here..." Naruto announced, gaining the said girls attention as he searched around the newly organized campsite. It wasn't much, but it was most certainly better than nothing. Ino just looked up to the approaching couple and gave off a weak, tired smile before pushing herself up onto her feet again.

"Yeah, I guess so, and it looks like you two are done as well. Now all we have to do is wait for Shikamaru and Kiba to get back with our food. I really hope they found something at least a little bit tasty. In the meantime, why don't we get the fire started?" Naruto and Hinata both nodded their heads in agreement, before carrying the firewood they had collected to the circle.

The three then sat down around the small structure while Naruto placed some dry leaves against the branches to help start the flames. "Alright, now all we have to do is create a spark or a fire of some kind." He mumbled tiredly, before looking up to the others sitting around him.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any flint on us and... and Ryuukimi is missing in action." He added sorrowfully. "Do... do either of you know any fire jutsu?" Both of them just shook their heads, before Hinata perked up a little.

"Wait, I think I might know another way..." She announced, before grabbing two of the branches from the pile. "It's something I learned from some of the nicer branch house members while they were taking care of me during my father's absence from home. They said that if I'm becoming a ninja, I should now how to look after myself."

Naruto and Ino both watched as the lavender eyed girl carved out an opening in one of the branches before placing a small handful of dry leaves into the centre. She then placed the other, more narrow stick perpendicular to the base of the hole and began to spin it in between her hands, causing friction between the two wooden surfaces.

"Hey, I remember Iruka-sensei teaching us this in the academy during one of our lessons, but I didn't pay attention because I never thought we'd actually end up having to use it." Ino stammered. "I guess you can never tell what's going to happen, eh?" She then turned to the blond sitting opposite from her.

"What about you Naruto, do you remember?" Naruto just shook his head from side to side, before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I... probably fell asleep during that lesson." Both Ino and Hinata froze momentarily, remembering the discussion they had the previous day. Naruto just looked at them curiously, wondering why they reacted the way they did.

"What's wrong, was it something I said?"

"No... no!!!" Ino replied quickly. "It's nothing... really! I was just thinking... a... about home, that's all. I guess all this talk about school is making me a bit homesick..." Of course, that wasn't the real truth, although it wasn't really a lie either.

Naruto just nodded his head in silent understanding, causing the two girls to mentally sigh in relief in light of the quick save on Ino's part. Hinata then continued about her business of trying to start a fire while the other two watched on patiently. After a few minutes of physical endurance on the young Hyuuga's part, the small tell-tale traces of smoke began to rise from the base of the stick Hinata was using, before the leaves sprang into flames.

The girl quickly moved the burning debris over to the rest of the firewood, while carefully sheltering it from the cool nighttime breeze, allowing the flames to grow in size as the remaining leaves lying at the base caught light and smothered the entire structure in flames.

"Wow, that was great Hinata! You're really smart as well!!!" Naruto beamed, admiring the gentle glow of the fire and the warmth that came with it.

Hinata just blushed nervously, turning a deeper shade of red that was only hidden by the warm glow of light that hit her face. It was a habit of hers that still managed to resurface whenever Naruto complimented her or spoke highly of her abilities, despite how far her confidence had grown in the times of their friendship with one another. It was heartwarming to see such a gentle, loving glow in the boy's eyes and the way the fire made his blue irises light up with a multitude of colourful hues was beautiful for her to witness.

It was almost like looking into the gaze of a small miracle, one placed on the earth just to make it that much brighter, and it was much more comforting than the lifeless, empty eyes she had seen numerous times before when she used to watch the tears of his pain fall onto his bruised cheeks back when he was still an orphan. After a few more minutes of silence that followed. Kiba and Shikamaru both finally reentered the clearing, carrying with them their hard earned dinner for the night.

"Looks like you guys are quit cozy..." The Nara proclaimed lazily, announcing their untimely arrival. Kiba just rolled his eyes at the statement, while grumbling something about hunting being Shikamaru's idea in the first place, before holding up their esteemed prize.

"Look at what we managed to find..." He boasted sarcastically, trying to emphasize his obvious lack of excitement. "Rabbit... again. How fun..." Akamaru just yapped in agreement while wagging his tail from side to side.

--

About an hour had passed since the group had finished, with much distaste, their evening meal. It wasn't exactly wholesome by any means and it didn't help that they were already growing tired of eating anything that crawled out of the bushes, literally. It was also too risky to head back to the river to fish, so that was out of the question.

Home cooked food was definitely beginning to sound that much more promising and the five youngsters were quickly realizing just how lucky they were to have a roof over their heads back home, although Naruto's was never welcoming until three months ago.

After that, they simply lazed around the warmth of the fireplace, content to just relax quietly in the lightly illuminated field while talking about nothing in particular and letting their stomachs settle. They had all just been through a very long day and the rest that was offered to them was more than welcome.

"So, I guess we're going to be stuck around one another for a while still..." Shikamaru finally mumbled, interrupting the conversation that was happening at that moment in time. "Seeing as how we are going to have to work with one another for what could possibly be a few days if we're lucky, I guess the best thing to do would be to get to know each other a bit more. You know, talk about what we like, dislike, our hobbies and dreams... stuff like that."

The dark haired boy then turned his gaze over to Ino, who was just taking to staring at him curiously. It was no secret that most of them were quite well acquainted with one another already, or at least everyone except for Naruto that is. Even though Hinata was shy, they still knew more about her than they did about the male blond in the group. That was when it hit her and she quickly nodded her head in understanding. The plan was to get Naruto to open up to them a bit more and the only way to do that would be to open up to him first and hope that he grew comfortable with them.

"Alright, I'll start..." She suddenly announced, gaining everyone's attention. Shikamaru just grinned in approval, although it was hardly noticeable to see in the soft glowing light for anyone that didn't know him well.

_'So she caught on after all. Maybe she isn't as dense as I thought...'_

"Well as you all know by now, my name is Ino Yamanaka. I'm a member of the Yamanaka clan and the daughter of Inoichi Yamanaka who is currently the clan head. As for my hobbies, well I like to scout out for the latest fashion in all the clothing stores in Konoha and my favorite colour is purple, especially when I'm wearing it." At this, all the boys around the campfire just shared a brief, knowing glance between one another.

"I also like to run the flower store back home and I like to garden in my spare time as well. I dunno why, I guess just being alone with nothing but the plants and flowers I tend to relaxes me a bit and it also gives me time to think about things. As for my bad habits..." The girl then turned her gaze over to Naruto, who was listening intently from across the fire. "I... I can be a bit thick headed sometimes..." She admitted hesitantly, much to the surprise of everyone present.

"... and I often jump to conclusions about certain situations before I know all the facts. I can also be really stubborn, especially when it comes to protecting _my_ Sasuke-kun from that stupid forehead girl Sakura!!!" The last statement was taken with a unanimous deflated sigh from everyone listening. After all, despite everything, there were some things that would never change that easily.

"My dream and ultimate goal is to win Sasuke's heart and make him see just how much he really loves me!!!" She finally finished, pumping her fist into the air. Naruto could have sworn that he saw flames burning in the centre of her eyes at that very moment and judging by the looks on everyone elses faces, he was sure that he wasn't the only one who noticed it.

"Alright then... who's next?"

Everyone in the group except for Naruto just looked over to Kiba, who was currently feeding the rest of his so called _'food'_ to the small dog that had burrowed itself into the rim of his jacket. Akamaru was tucking into the meal with a lot more enthusiasm than anyone else had and was gladly devouring it without much care.

"Alright, I guess it's me then." He finally sighed, noticing the urging glares he was getting from Shikamaru and Ino.

"Fine... well there isn't much to say I guess. My name is Kiba Inuzuka, but I don't like it when people use my full name to address me, because it normally means I am in trouble for some reason. My mom uses it a lot when she's angry, it's either that or _'little mister'_ which is even worse. I'm obviously a part of the Inuzuka clan, in case anyone didn't already figure that out, and my mom, Tsume, is the clan-head, mostly because my dad left Konoha a few years ago..."

At this, Kiba paused for a brief moment, suddenly finding the flickering flames that bristled off of the campfire immensely interesting. Naruto noticed the solemn, far-off look on the other boy's face and couldn't help but frown at the sudden change in his dark hazel eyes. Even Akamaru began to whimper in protest of the uneasy silence that ensued and the young blond suspected that whatever happened, it hurt Kiba a lot more than he was willing to show anyone.

_'It... must be hard for someone's dad to leave them like that.'_ He thought quietly to himself. _'Just like my real dad, although I never knew who he was...'_

After a few more brief moments of silence, Kiba finally spoke up again, regaining his feral cheer once more, although it was obviously much less vibrant than what it had been just a few moments before.

"Anyway... I really like my best friend and lifelong companion, Akamaru, and I also like taking him for our runs in the woods near our home. I hate my sister Hana... sometimes... but sometimes she's alright when she wants to be. She can even be fun to hang out with when she isn't thinking about her boyfriend all the time or just being plain girly and she does help Akamaru out when he's sick. I also hate cleaning out the dog kennels because they really stink. My lifelong goal is to become the greatest tracker in the world and prove that Akamaru and I are an unbeatable team!!!"

After that everyone turned their attention to Shikamaru, who began clearing his throat of whatever inexplicable object suddenly caught there, while simultaneously sighing under his breath. This was a feat only possible for a Nara and Shikamaru was definitely a prime example of the clan's lazy genius.

"*Sigh* My name is Shikamaru Nara. You've all met my father, Shikaku, already and believe me when I say that you don't want to meet my mother, Yoshino. She can be a real pain sometimes... actually make that all the time. I like sleeping... and lying on the grass watching the clouds pass by, before falling asleep. My hobbies are... sleeping... sleeping in class, trying to sleep through my mother's lectures, although that's more challenging... oh, and playing Shougi as well. No-one has ever beaten me at it yet though, but I still enjoy it anyway. I haven't played against my dad yet, but I think he would probably be a lot more challenging. *Sigh*"

"He should add 'sighing' to his list of hobbies, or at least his bad habits." Naruto whispered in Hinata's ear, who simply giggled under her breath at the silent joke shared between them.

"My dislikes... well I don't like girls most of the time, because I think they are bossy and far too troublesome to be around." This gained the young Nara sharp glares from both Ino and Hinata, the latter of whom had been acquiring a lot of practice of late. Her nearly white eyes only made them look that much more intimidating, but Shikamaru was already used to far worse from his own mother, so he simply shrugged it off.

"I also don't like working, or anything else that requires my attention span for more than five minutes at a time, unless of course that something is a cloud... or a game of Shougi. My dream is to find at least one place in Konoha where my mother can't find me in less than a few minutes, or at least where the reach of her voice cannot penetrate easily. She wails like a banshee when she's upset."

With that, the young Nara gave off one more deep sigh of exhaustion, having already used up more energy speaking than he would have liked, before slouching his shoulders back and awaiting the next volunteer. Everyone listening could have sworn they heard a muffled _'how troublesome'_ coming from under his breath.

Hinata simply took a deep gulp of dread, before clearing her throat of the similarly strange imaginary illness she had obviously contracted from Shikamaru. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable speaking to any of them, it was just that she had never really spoken about _herself_ before. Naruto and Lee were the only two people who had ever really tried to get to know her and even then there were still things that she had never spoken to them about.

"M... my name is Hinata Hyuuga." She finally began, with a slight stutter returning to her voice. "My father, Hiashi-sama, is the head of the main branch of the Hyuuga clan and my mother... well... she died when I was little, after my sister was born. My father never really took it well and he's been different ever since that day."

The girl quickly took a deep, shuddering gulp before turning her gaze over to Naruto, noticing the growing pain that stretched across his face. She knew what was going on and what everyone else was trying to accomplish by being open with one another, which is why she thought that by mentioning her own mother she might be able to get Naruto into a more trusting situation. But she quickly regretted her decision when she saw the pained look in the young boy's eyes.

"I... I like cooking and making tea, because it relaxes me when I'm feeling upset or lonely. I also like my little sister, Hanabi, although she can be a bit of a handful sometimes. I enjoy spending time with my two best friends..." At this, the girl shared a quick glance with the boy beside her, who managed a brief smile in return. "... and I also like the way they listen to me and pay attention when I'm talking. My hobbies are making healing salves and coming up with new variations of different teas or testing new imports when they come into Konoha."

After that, the girl's face took on a far more solemn expression, something that everyone watching noticed easily. "I... don't like people who hurt others just because they are smaller or weaker than themselves. I also don't like it when my friends get hurt, or when I see them cry because of something they never did wrong. My dream... my dream is to grow stronger to protect someone very important to me and to make sure that person never has to cry anymore."

After that, the young girl spared one last glance at Naruto, before turning a deep shade of red again. Only the boy didn't notice her reaction because he was now beginning to grow anxious from all the eyes that suddenly fell upon him.

"Alright, it's your turn Naruto..." Shikamaru prodded gently. "Tell us a bit about yourself..."

Naruto just paled somewhat, and his eyes quickly wandered to his shuffling feet. "I... I don't know what to say..." He mumbled under his breath. "No-ones ever asked me this kind of stuff before..."

"Just start out with you name and what you like." Ino advised. "It's not that hard... really. None of us will think badly of you."

"I'm just not so sure about that..." Naruto replied dryly, although the painful truth was clearly audible in his words and it was something that everyone noted with a tinge of guilt stinging at the back of their minds. After all, experience had clearly spoken otherwise.

The young boy's hands began to dig into the fabric of his pants, squeezing tightly to relieve the tension he felt growing inside his stomach. It wasn't easy to talk about himself so openly, especially when saying just one wrong word could end up landing him in an endless heap of trouble. He had to be careful of giving himself away to those who would use that kind of personal knowledge to hurt him in some way.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun..." Hinata eventually intervened, trying to ease the sittuation. "No-ones going to... we aren't going to..." She couldn't finish those words, knowing full well that they would have far greater effect with the people listening than Naruto would want. Instead she just looked at him with pleading eyes, eyes that begged him to trust her, if only her. After a few brief moments, the boy finally nodded in consent, before settling down to speak.

"Hi... m... my name is N... Naruto Uzumaki..." he stammered uneasily. "I d... don't know who my real m... m... mother and f... father were and I have lived as an orphan for the last 10 years of my life, ever since I was born." The boy then allowed for a brief pause while his eyes slowly wandered to the floor again. No-one pressed him any further or urged him to continue, instead allowing him to open up in his own time. It was a few minutes before he finally found the courage to speak up again.

"I... I don't really want to talk about my orphanage or my past before then..." At this, Shikamaru narrowed his eyes knowingly.

_'Just as I thought. Something must have happened to him while he was living in the orphanage. That's why he suddenly stopped coming into class with bruises about three months ago, which is around when Iruka-sensei adopted him if I'm correct.'_

"My dad... you guys know him as Iruka-sensei... took me in a few months ago after the orphanage kicked me out. I was... really happy when that happened, it was the happiest moment in my entire life. I think it was the first time I ever remember smiling... a happy smile. It was also... the first time anyone ever hugged me before..."

After a few drawn breaths quickly entered the young boy's lungs, the soft trickle of tears began to appear in the corner of his eyes. Naruto quickly paused in his explanation and moved to wipe them away before they fell, hiding them from everyone watching. After a few more seconds had passed, the boy looked up again with a forlorn expression.

"I'm... sorry, it's just..."

"Don't be sorry..." Shikamaru cut him off. "There's nothing to be sorry about so saying that is just troublesome. Just take as much time as you need to talk to us, none of us are going to rush you." Naruto just nodded his head gratefully.

He was beginning to understand what everyone was trying to do for him and why they were being so patient. It was now painfully obvious even for him to see, but even still, for some reason he found himself urged to continue regardless, even though it hurt him so much to do so. He didn't know why, but it just felt right to talk about it. It felt like a massive weight was being lifted off his shoulders.

"After all that happened..." He finally continued. "... I began to train more to get my strength up to defend myself. I had three really great senseis teaching me everything about being a ninja and helping me to grow stronger. Dad also began teaching me how to read and write properly as well. I really started to feel happy... because for the first time in my life there were people who cared about me, people who didn't try to... "

There was a brief pause and Naruto quickly redirected his words, not wanting to mention how he had been hurt before. "They were... really wierd people, especially Anko-neesan, but I still love them no matter how strange they are. It was also during that time that I made my first true friends."

By now, Naruto's eyes were fighting a losing battle with his tears and he didn't know whether they were trying to fall because he was sad or because he was happy talking about the ones who had saved him. Everyone listening to him were doing so with the utmost attention and none of them dared to avert their eyes or interrupt him, lest they lose the only link of trust they had ever managed to acquire with the young blond bearing his soul out to them.

"After a few weeks of living with him, Iruka-sensei adopted me. He became my dad and I finally had a family of my own. It was also when I met Ryuukimi as well. I thought things couldn't get any better, but then bad stuff started happening and I thought I might lose my dad. I was so afraid of losing him after everything that had happened and it really hurt..." Naruto then took another deep breath, pushing back the negative thoughts that appeared at the back of his mind and instead focussing on his explanation.

"Anyway... I guess I should tell you more about my hobbies and stuff, right?" Shikamaru just nodded his head.

He knew to take that as a que that Naruto no longer felt fit to talk about his past and wanted to speak about something else now. The said blond boy just took the gesture as a consent to continue and began to speak once more.

"Well, there isn't that much that's special about me. I really like ramen, ever since dad first took me to Ichiraku's to try some. I also like dango as well, although that comes second in my books. Anko-neesan and I always have these arguments about which one is better, but she always ends up winning because she can get quite scary otherwise. My hobbies include trying out different kinds of ramen and seeing all the new flavors that come out. I don't like the three minutes it takes to cook the ramen, but dad says that I must learn to be more patient."

Naruto quickly drew a deep, long overdue breath, allowing everyone the moment to absorb the estranged information as quickly as they could manage. It was really quite surprising that someone could talk about a single topic so full heartedly, especially when the topic was food, although it wasn't as surprising when you considered the 'Uchiha' obsession that gripped some of the class fangirls. After allowing himself the relief of his newfound oxygen, the young boy continued.

"I really love my father more than anything else in the whole world and I would do anything for him. I also love my friends and my teachers as well. My dream..." At this, Naruto paused again, as if to think about the very meaning of those words.

"I really don't know anymore..." He finally mumbled. "I used to have a dream, something that I really wanted more than anything else in the world, but... but that dream has come true already. It came true when dad adopted me..."

The young boy then rubbed the base of his eyes again, whether because of fatigue or something else, no-one really knew. Everyone listening just shared a glance between one another, realizing, for the first time, just how much they had taken their own lives and families for granted. It was something they all stood to lose now that they were lost and alone.

"Now... now I guess all I want to do is become stronger, so I can protect those precious bonds... to protect the ones I love..."

--

It had now been two hours since the group had eaten and spoken about themselves and everyone had since settled down for the night, using the soft grass that had managed to grow in the light of the clearing as a makeshift mattress and the glowing embers of the fire to keep their otherwise exposed bodies warm. Only Naruto remained awake, having volunteered to take the first watch for the night.

He didn't really feel inclined to sleeping at this point in time, even though he felt rather tired, especially after what had just transpired a few moments before. There were just too many things on his mind, not the least of which was the whereabouts of his missing companion. He knew that Ryuukimi was still somewhere in the Fire Country, that much was certain, but even still, he couldn't help but worry for his friend.

Another matter that concerned him was the well-being of his father as well. He didn't even know what happened to Iruka after he fell unconscious, but somehow he knew that the man was still alive. Something in his heart just told him it was true.

Right now, the young boy was busy scanning the surrounding area with his Tenraigan, content to just become lost in the beauty of what he was seeing while still keeping a careful eye out for any unnatural disturbances. It was easy for him to make everything out, even in the dark, mostly because of the way the world lit up to his eyes with all the life flowing around him. After noting that there was nothing out of the ordinary, so to speak, Naruto let out a deep sigh and then closed his eyes wearily, allowing them a brief moment to relax in his fatigue.

"You're worried about Ryuukimi, aren't you?"

Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open again as the gentle concerned voice called out to him. He quickly deactivated his doujutsu and turned to face the speaker, only to see Hinata approaching in his direction.

"Yeah... it's really hard not knowing where he is..." He replied heavily, as the Hyuuga sat down next to him. "I just wish we had found him already. It feels lonely without him by my side and I'm sure he's lonely as well."

A few brief moments of silence followed, with neither of them saying another word. They just sat there quietly, staring at the stars that shone down into the small clearing. They were a lot easier to see without all of the village lights and Naruto could count millions if he ever attempted to number them. After a few more moments had passed in silence, Hinata finally spoke up again.

"How do you know he is still in the Fire Country?" She mumbled softly. "How do you know he hasn't left already?" Naruto just turned his eyes over in her direction, before allowing them to wander to the earth again.

"I... I'm not entirely sure how, but I know he's here because I can... I can still feel him." Hinata just furrowed her brows in confusion, prompting an explanation from the young boy beside her, to which Naruto obliged.

"Ryuukimi and I... we share this special connection with one another. Our souls are linked to each other, so I can feel him when he's nearby. He... he feels scared, but I don't believe he's scared for himself. I... I don't think he can go back yet as long as I'm still in danger. He won't leave until he's found me, because I think he's afraid that I might not summon him if I'm in trouble again... like the last time..."

The boy then looked back up to Hinata again, who was now staring at him curiously, wondering what he meant by 'last time'. She didn't question him though, knowing that he had already revealed a lot of his past in one night as it was.

"... or maybe... maybe it's something else." He finally finished with a heavy sigh, a habit that was no doubt acquired from being around Shikamaru for too long. Hinata just gave Naruto a brief, reassuring smile, trying her best to comfort him in his time of need. She knew how it felt to lose sight of a friend, to feel like you've lost someone, because it was how she felt when she couldn't find Naruto as well.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" She asked gently. "It's my watch now and you look very tired. I know it's really hard not to think about things, but you need to be well rested if you want to be ready to move again tomorrow."

Naruto just nodded his head gratefully before lying himself down onto the soft green grass, allowing it to tickle against his skin and brush gently across his extremely sensitive cheeks. It was still very cold to the touch, especially when some of the long blades snuck through the tears in his clothes, but even still it was comforting to feel it brushing up against his body.

Hinata continued to watch as his breathing began to lessen into a steady rhythm, before finally softening all together. Naruto was asleep in no time at all, with his overwhelming fatigue quickly having its way with his tired body once more. The young boy just lay there quietly, with only the warmth of the fire to comfort him where a blanket could not, as well as the caring eyes of a watchful friend.

--

Dawn came quicker than any of them could have hoped and the scant rays of a rising sun were quickly joined by the singing of numerous birds as their chorus rang across the trees around them. Naruto opened his heavy eyes with great reluctance, noticing that everyone else was already clearing up the debris around him, removing any evidence that they were even there to begin with.

He was never really a morning person to begin with and that much hadn't changed, but even still he quickly picked himself up off the floor and stretched his limbs, while allowing a massive yawn to escape his gaping mouth.

"Morning sleepyhead!" Naruto turned to the source of his greeting, and noticed Kiba waving in his direction. He quickly rubbed his eyes again to make sure he wasn't just seeing things, but realized that nothing changed when he opened them again.

"Um... morning... I guess." He replied sheepishly, not really knowing what else to say. Kiba just rolled his eyes in an exasperated expression.

"Sheesh! You don't have to sound so uneasy all the time you know. I'm not gonna bite you." Kiba then scratched the back of his head while hiding a slight frown, one that he fought to keep from showing to the other boy staring at him. "Well, not any more at least..." He added shamefully under his breath, too softly for even Naruto's ears to hear.

"So... why don't you help us get this mess cleaned up and then we can get moving again? I'm sure you're eager to find your missing friend as well..."

Naruto just stared blankly at the other boy for a few moments, trying to decipher this new strange behavior on the young Inuzuka's part. It was no secret that Kiba had always treated him less than indignantly in the past, often mocking his status as an orphan and treating him like nothing but dirt back at school. So it was strange that he was now addressing his younger fellow so... well... _'normally'_ was the only way to put it.

The young blond quickly stood to his feet and proceeded to help clear up the last remaining mess, while sparing a quick glance at the other boy standing not too far from him. It was strange to see the slightly marred expression on Kiba's face and it was almost unnerving as well. Naruto silently wondered if it had something to do with the previous night and what they had learned from one another.

After all, Kiba's father had left him as well and the blond silently wondered if maybe that was why he acted the way he did. It was easier to tackle a problem by targeting someone else who had even less than he did to make himself feel better about his own situation. Although it wasn't a very good way to deal with the situation, it was the only way that sense to someone who didn't know any better.

Naruto knew all too well that when someone was hurting deep inside, they often took out their frustrations and anger on another innocent bystander, sometimes even going so far as to physically harm the victim of their anger and resentment. Naruto had endured that kind of treatment for as long as he could remember at the hands of the hateful villagers, only that was much worse than anything Kiba had ever done to him.

--

A few minutes later saw everyone making their way through the forrest again, traversing the thick undergrowth and hiking over the mounds and shrubs that scattered across the forest floor. Because of the lack of abundant sunlight passing through the trees, there was little or no grass growing on the ground beneath the weary feet that travelled across its surface, which meant that mud and dirt quickly invited itself into the crevices of the children's clothes and footwear, while smearing up onto their legs.

Minutes eventually turned to hours and the group had been traveling for about three thereafter, moving up against the flow of the river on a path that they had already pre-determined the day before. They were mostly traveling blind as far as actual directions went, with only their general bearings and knowledge of the sun's position to steer them on the right path. They could only hope that they would be found before it was too late or before they finally succumbed to nature's merciless ravages.

Unfortunately, nature was not the only force that had set out to tear them down and break them apart. Dark, merciless eyes had long since gathered on the children as they peered through the dense undergrowth, searching over the small group of youngsters as they made their way across the unforgiving wilderness. Once they found the object of their goals, setting their gaze on the mop of blond hair who's owner trudged along the forest floor, a malicious voice called out from their hiding place.

"It looks like we've found our target at last. Now we can kill the boy and be done with this god-forsaken mission." One of the others hiding quickly turned to face the speaker with a disaproving glare.

"But... Kyoui-san specifically told us not to engage them if we found them without informing him first. We are to report back to him in order to regroup and then attack as one. Those were his direct orders!"

The first speaker simply smirked confidently, brushing off his companion's complaints as little more than an unnecessary rant. "Please, I don't see why that guy is so afraid of a bunch of little snot-nosed kids. For a jounin, he really doesn't act that tough at all. They are just academy students, not even fully fledged genin yet, so what harm could they possibly pose to us?"

"Kyoui told us not to underestimate them. If he finds out that we attacked without his consent..." The man was interupted again before he could even get far.

"Relax would you. He'd probably thank us for saving him from a what is a unjustified waste of his time and skills. We'll have this wrapped up in no time at all." With that, the man quickly leaped out of the trees and made his way down over to their target, followed closely by the remaining figures that had hidden themselves from their prey.

"It's time to have some fun boys!!!!"

--

Naruto was carefully scouting out his immediate surroundings, searching through the trees and bushes that acted as potential hiding places for any would-be attackers. He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy and it was something that the dark haired girl walking beside him noticed easily.

"Ano, Naruto-kun, is something wrong?" She inquired, coming to a standstill next to her friend. The said boy quickly snapped his attention away from his surroundings and focussed on Hinata. Everyone else came to a stop as well, noticing the sudden nervousness that bore on the boy's falling expression.

"I... I don't know. I just have this really bad feeling that something terrible is about to happen." he mumbled nervously.

"The last time I felt like this, my... my dad ended up getting hurt. I think we might be in danger..." Shikamaru just sighed in despondence, before shaking his from side to side and mumbling about 'troubling psychic blonds', which only got him another sharp glare from Ino.

"Alright, if you think there might be a problem, then we'll be on the cautious side. Hinata, can you scan the area with your Byuakugan?" The said girl just nodded her head approvingly, before holding up her hand to form a singe seal.

"Byuakugan!!!" The girl quickly began to scan the immediate area, searching for any possible threats while everyone else watched on with bated breaths. She was just about to give up search, until something caught her attention, causing her eyes to widen in fear. Naruto immediately noticed the disconcerting reaction and took a deep gulp of dread.

"Hinata... what's wrong?" He stammered. The girl quickly snapped out of her stupor and turned to face her companions with an alarming glare.

"Something's coming!!! Move now!!!" Everyone quickly heeded the heiress' warning, and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the explosive tag that landed in between them. The resounding blast shook the nearby trees violently and the smoke that picked up into the air quickly blocked out the sunlight shining through the the dense canopy of leaves.

Hinata and Naruto both skidded to a halt on the soft dirt nearby, with Shikamaru, Kiba and Ino landing on the opposite end of the blast. The young blond quickly snapped back up again to see a number of figures descending from the trees, landing all around them and couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"Damn it, this isn't good..."

"So, it looks like the little monster has tagged along with some of his friends." One of the men snickered as he turned to face Naruto. Ino, Shikamaru and Kiba all turned to the said boy with confused expressions, wondering what the man was talking about, all except for Hinata who had already heard a similar proclamation two days before. The young boy just scrunched his eyes in anguish.

_'I knew it, they were after me all along. I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me...'_

Naruto could count about ten enemy shinobi all together, which mean that they were desperately outnumbered and probably outmatched as well. He knew he had to draw them away from the others, but he just didn't know how. Unfortunately, before Naruto could even think to act, the man spoke up again, this time with an expression that held little remorse for the youngsters around him.

"Alright then, kill them all. There's no point in leaving any of them alive." With that, the attacking shinobi quickly went on the offensive, leaving the youngster little time to prepare.

Kiba and Shikamaru quickly jumped out of the way of a hail of kunai as four of the attacking shinobi moved to engage them, while the young Inuzuka pulled Akamaru out of the hem of his jacket and popped a strange looking soldier pill into his mouth, causing the small dog to begin changing in size and colour. After a few brief moments, he placed the growing dog on the ground and crawled onto all fours, while Akamaru jumped up onto his back.

"I guess we'll have to even up the odds a little, right Akamaru!?!" The boy growled. **"Juujin Bunshin no Jutsu!!!!"**

At that moment, Akamaru suddenly transformed into an exact duplicate of Kiba, taking on an identical stance on the said boy's back while balancing precariously on all four limbs. Both of them had assume a far more feral looking posture than before and it was almost impossible to tell the difference between them now.

"Alright!!!! Now it's time to go!!!! **Gatsuuga!!!**"

Both boy and animal quickly burt out to attack and turned into a torrent of fangs and claws, spinning around one another in a vortex of destruction before billowing straight into their target's location. The two attacking shinobi that had engaged them quickly jumped out of the way just in time to see the ground being torn to shreds in the ensuing maelstrom.

"Ha, you'll have to do better than that kid!" One of them snickered. "We aren't some run-of-the-mill academy students that you can defeat so easily!!!"

In the meantime, Shikamaru and Ino were both doing there best to avoid the numerous kunai and shuriken that found themselves towards the unlucky pair, with the latter barely escaping with her hair intact after a particularly close call. Hinata was busy handling her own problems as well, simultaneously engaging two other shinobi in a delicate dance of taijutsu, while skillfully avoiding their ever increasing array of attacks.

"So, the little girl has some skill after all!!!" Hinata just ignored the insulting comment and continued to weave in between the blows directed at her, while using her Byuakugan to help notify her of any other incoming attacks.

She couldn't afford to lose concentration at this point in time and she knew that one wrong move could get her killed. She was constantly on the defensive as it was and she was having difficulty finding an opening to counter attack. It was all she could do to just avoid getting hit at this point in time.

Naruto himself was desperately trying to figure out a way to help his friends, but found that he had more than enough problems on his own plate as well. he was currently engaged in a similar taijutsu bout to that of Hinata, only he was a lot more distracted than the said girl.

_'Damn it, damn it damn it!!! I need to get these guys away from everyones else!!!'_

It was then that the young boy noticed Kiba's battle from the corner of his eyes. The overly confident Inuzuka had just missed another failing attack, with both of his opponents making a last second evasive maneuver that left him reeling precariously on the forest floor with an equally unstable Akamaru at his side. He also noticed the explosive tag that was thrown at the unwary pair and quickly moved to intercept it, leaving his own two opponents chasing closely at his heels.

"Kiba!!! Get out of the way!!!!" The said boy just looked up in confusion as he heard Naruto's warning, only to notice the object of his demise approaching from above. It was already too late to move out of the way and he found himself staring blankly as it descended in his location.

_'Shit... I guess this is really it then. I'm sorry... Akamaru...' _Just before the projectile hit it's mark, Naruto suddenly appeared in front of the startled boy and whipped around on the spot, deflecting the kunai off to the side with a well-time flick of his arm.

The projectile quickly veered into the nearby trees before exploding in a shower of splinters and dust, with both Kiba and Naruto diving to the ground to avoid the flying debris. By the time the smog cleared from the air, both boys had already noticed the approach of one of their attackers as he made his way to strike at them in their vulnerable state.

"Kiba, stay down for now. I'll take care of this!!!" Naruto ordered. The young Inuzuka could only watch as his smaller counterpart quickly jumped to his feet again and ran to engage the lone shinobi, picking up a stray kunai from the ground as he went.

_'Now's my chance! I have to get them to follow me, otherwise everyone else is going to get hurt.'_

As the two combatants landed at one another's location, Naruto quickly ducked underneath a high sweep from his attacker, using his small stature and height to his own unique advantage. He then formed a series of hand seals in the interum that followed before slamming his palms into the man's exposed chest.

**"Fuuton!!! Kaze no Arashi!!!" **A strong maelstrom of wind and dust picked up soon afterwards, hurling the man across the forest floor before slamming him into the base of a nearby tree, pinning him up against the hard surface with the sheer force of the gale as it continued to press against him. The focus of all the other combatants in the area was quickly drawn to the ensuing chaos, diverting their eyes to the scene of destruction that resulted from the attack.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Naruto murmured to himself, before hurling the kunai he had attained towards his target. He followed this up with another series of hand signs before calling his attack.

**"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!!" **The single kunai that had been thrown quickly split into at least fifteen more projectiles in mid flight, before deftly slamming into the terrified shinobi that was on the receiving end of the attack.

They promptly pinned the man up to the base of the tree, while purposely missing any vital spots that may have otherwise killed him. Everyone watching had almost completely haulted in their attacks all together by now with Naruto quickly being established as the most prominent threat to them all.

_'Good, I have their attention now...' _The young boy then jumped over up onto the branch of a nearby tree and turned to call back to the enemy shinobi, making sure he still had all of their undivided attention.

"Hey, you guys!!! I'm the one you're after!!! So why don't you come and get me!?!?!?!" The boy then jumped off from the tree and disspeared into the forest, leaving his attackers behind to contemplate his enticing offer.

"Damn it!!! Everyone go after that little brat before he escapes!!! We can't afford to lose him!!!" The rest of the group quickly move to obey the broadcasted orders and promptly gave chase, leaving behind the remaining academy students in the confusion that followed.

Hinata quickly snapped out of her sudden bout of shock and ran over to where Shikamaru and Ino were standing, both looking just as surprised as she was herself.

"Come on you guys!!! We need to go and help Naruto before something happens to him!!!" She shouted, gaining the attention of the two waiting there. Shikamaru looked over to the approaching figure and simply shook his head from side to side, just as Kiba landed in amongst them. Akamaru had now reverted back to his original form and was riding inside the boy's jacket again.

"No Hinata, it's too dangerous to just pursue our attackers aimlessly." Shikamaru replied heavily. "Naruto has given us the time we need to plan efficiently and we should make the best of it. We need to use this opportunity to come up with a strategy that we can work around properly, otherwise his sacrifice will be a waste."

Hinata just glared at the dark haired boy with a heavy frown, but it didn't help the tears that began to sting at the back of her eyes. "But you don't understand!!!" She finally shouted back. "They're going to hurt him!!! They don't just want to kill him, they want to make him suffer as much as they can and you're just going to wait here and come up with some stupid plan!?!?!"

By now, the tears were falling freely from the young Hyuuga's eyes and rolling down the side of her cheeks. Ino quickly stepped forward to embrace her in a tight hug while offering gentle words of comfort to ease her fears. The young girl just cried into the Yamanaka's shoulders while Shikamaru and Kiba watched with heavy expressions.

"He's... he's fighting for us." She mumbled in between her sobs, her voice muffled by the fabric of Ino's clothes. "He's fighting to keep us safe so that we don't get hurt. That's all he ever does, he only ever thinks of everyone else before himself and he always gets hurt because of it..."

Shikamaru just placed his hand on the girl's exposed shoulder before squeezing it tightly, showing an unusual amount of compasion for the otherwise seemingly dense and boring expression he normally bore. For the first time in his life, Shikamaru didn't know what to do. He was completely out of ideas.

"I'm sorry Hinata, I really am, but we just don't have much of a choice in this matter. As troublesome as it is, all we can do right now is trust Naruto to do the right thing. We just have to hope that he can pull through this and we must also try to do our best for him as well..."

_'So, Naruto has chosen to be the Climbing Silver. It's a reckless thing to do, to sacrifice himself like that. I just hope he'll be alright...'_

--

Dum, dum dum!!!! Holy crap!!! It's another epic cliffhanger!!!!! I'm really sorry about this one, truly I am!!!

I was actually going to have the entire battle finish in this chapter, but it was starting to become too long again. The battle still has a while to go and this seemed like the best place to cut it off (and simultaneously sign my own mob execution papers). However, I assure you, it will conclude in the next chapter for sure. X'D

I'm really sorry Hawkgirl90, the answers will come soon enough. Just don't destroy your computer, it isn't his/its fault, I promise!!! He's innocent!!!!!!!! O_O

*Quickly places hands together and prays that my life will be spared from the numerous death threats I'm about to recieve* X_X

Once again, thanks for the support everyone. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!!! (And I hope I don't die before writing the next one!!!) ^ ^

**Notes:**

**"Juujin Bunshin no Jutsu!!!!"** = Man Beast Clone Jutsu!!!  
**"Gatsuuga!!!"** = Double Piercing Fang!!!  
** "Fuuton! Kaze no Arashi!!!"** = Wind Style! Wind Tempest/Storm  
**"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!"** = Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!!!

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	31. Chapter 31 A Painful Sacrifice

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Hey everyone! The long awaited battle takes place in this chapter!!! It is also the longest battle scene I have written so far by quite a lengthy margin. So, what are you waiting for??? Read it already!!!

Hope you enjoy the next chapter!!! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 31 - A Painful Sacrifice**

The bitter smell of burning tobacco tattered and waved across the small room of the Hokage's office as an old man slowly began to light his ornate pipe, allowing the smoldering leaves to curl up on themselves while expending the embedded flavors that they contained. The Sandaime took a brief whiff from the smoke that danced from the base of the pipe and allowed the sensation to linger around his nose for a small moment, before placing the ornament in his mouth while carefully holding its base with a frail, caressing hand.

It was a pastime that Hiruzen Sarutobi still managed to enjoy to this very day, even in his office as Hokage and it was one of the few luxuries he still had the time to indulge in. It was also one of the few vices he allowed himself in his failing age despite the protests from the medical staff that warned him of the growing health concerns.

Only today was exceptionally different from the norm. Today, the smoke that the old man inhaled filled an alternate purpose other than that of enjoyment, instead being used to calm his growing tension and ease his failing nerves.

Sarutobi took another deep draw from his pipe, allowing the overpowering taste of tobacco to linger in his mouth for a few seconds, before letting out a deep, heavy sigh. Today was going to be a very long day indeed, he knew that the moment he had received an urgent message earlier that morning and it was also the reason why he found himself lighting up particularly early on this occasion.

Now he was simply waiting for the arrival of those he had summoned a few moments before and he couldn't help but wince at the thought of what was about to transpire. Just then, as if on que to his thoughts, a knock sounded at the door, causing him to let out another heavy breath along with a billowing plume of smoke.

"You may come in..." He eventually announced, stifling a tired groan as he did.

Sarutobi could make out the distinct sounds of muffled talking emanating from behind the door before it began to slowly squeak open, revealing his awaited guests as they entered the room. The three jounin shuffled inside uneasily until they came to a stop just in front of the Hokage's desk and the uneasy silence that followed was almost enough to drive anyone insane.

"So then.... I am sure you are all wondering why I called you here this morning, Anko, Kakashi and Kurenai..." The old man sighed.

This was more of a statement than a question and the brief glances the three jounin shared with one another was enough to confirm his suspicions on how they felt at the time. This was further emphasized by the fact that Kakashi's little orange book was strangely absent from his grasp. They all knew that if the three of them had been called together, then there was only one reason that the Hokage would have summoned them.

"This is.... about Naruto, isn't it?" Anko flat-lined, displaying an unusual amount of stiffness in her voice.

Everyone else in the room took a brief moment to glance curiously at the said jounin, knowing full well that this was definitely a long stretch from her usually wild and unpredictable behavior. Anko had never shown so much silent control in front of the Hokage before now and there was only one thing that could explain her reaction... only one person.

The purple haired jounin simply bit the bottom of her lip when she received her answer in the form of a quiet nod, confirming all of their worst fears, and began to ball her fists at her sides. Although the response was subtle, the impact it had on the three present shinobi was so profound that the Hokage might as well have screamed it at them.

"Two days ago, I received word from Iruka Umino, stating that the class of academy students he was leading on a training excursion into the Fire Country were suddenly and deliberately attacked by an unknown group of enemy shinobi. Unfortunately, the details behind the attack were scarce at the time and I had an ANBU team immediately deployed to investigate what had happened as well as escort any survivors safely back to the village. This morning, one of the ANBU captains returned ahead of the rest of the group with a message revealing the circumstances of the attack as well as the well-being of the survivors."

All three jounin tensed up after hearing the news, a reaction that the Hokage had already predicted beforehand. In fact, he half expected Anko to blow up in the spot (almost literally), but surprisingly, she just stood there blankly. A brief moment of silence followed as the old man allowed time for the news to sink in, although he knew that it was only a matter of time before one of them eventually spoke up.

"Were there... any casualties?" Kurenai finally asked, almost hesitantly. They all knew that it was just a disguise for her real question and the Third seemed to notice this as well.

"There have been none reported thus far..." Sarutobi replied bitterly, gaining a simultaneous sigh of relief from the shinobi present.

"However, a small number of children were displaced during the entire ordeal and are now missing somewhere in the Fire Country. Apparently, they had been swept up by a stream during the attack and their whereabouts and status are now unknown. Among those lost... is Naruto Uzumaki..."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes dangerously at those words, something that anyone who knew him would cringe at the sight of, knowing full well that it meant trouble for whatever unlucky soul had become the bane of his anger. The silver-haired jounin knew that Naruto couldn't swim to save his life, much less survive the merciless ravages of a violent river and the paled expressions on both his companions' faces did little to ease the tension either.

"But... why did you call us in?" The Hatake queried as calmly as possible, trying to change the subject before their thoughts on Naruto's chance of survivability deteriorated too far.

Although he was as just as worried as Kurenai and Anko appeared, he still kept a level head regardless of the dwindling emotions he felt at the time and he knew that the Hokage wouldn't send additional shinobi to handle the situation if an ANBU squad had already been dispatched. Something else was going on, that much was certain...

"You don't think the attack was just aimed at the students in general... do you?" It was Anko who spoke up again, once more surprising her present company with her unusually calm voice and her very acute perception.

Her apparent lack of tension and emotion would have almost been convincing if not for the slight tremble in her voice and it was easily noticeable despite her efforts to appear strong in front of her fellow shinobi. Once again, the jounin's question was answered with another heavy nod and the killing intent that wavered throughout the air almost doubled immediately. After that, the old man began to explain once more.

"According to the ANBU that arrived earlier this morning, it has been established that the rest of the group of children and parents have already started making there way back to Konoha under an ANBU escort. They should be here within the next day or two depending on their pace and the circumstances involved. In addition to that, Iruka has formed a search party along with some of the other shinobi adults in order to ascertain the fates of those who were lost in the attack and to hopefully find survivors. He also sent back a rather cryptic message that has lead me to believe that Naruto was, indeed, the likely target for the attack and may still be hunted as we speak."

The Sandaime then took another deep draw from his pipe, allowing the taste to linger in his mouth for a few moments, before releasing the plume with a heavy sigh.

"As I'm sure you are all aware by now, there are very few people who know of Naruto's bloodline and I would like to keep it that way for as long as possible. You three are the only ones outside of Iruka and I who have knowledge about it and I believe there is one of Naruto's friends that has since learned about it as well. Anyone else who has come into contact with his doujutsu have been hospitalized and have since undergone extensive measures to make sure that they never speak of what they have seen. That is the reason I am sending you three to assist the search party in any way you can, or if possible, to find and intercept the ones that are after Naruto before they can reach him again. You are the only ones I can trust with the innate delicacy this mission requires and the hidden circumstances around its purpose and we cannot allow these people to achieve their goal under any circumstances."

All three of them nodded in understanding, none of them daring to question the aged man or argue with his reasoning, not that they would ever think of doing so. It was enough for them to trust his words and it was also all the reason they needed to find the boy who had touched all of their lives.

"Good, you should leave at your earliest possible convenience. This will be counted as an A-ranked mission, possibly even S-rank, so I expect you to handle it with the greatest amount of care. I have no doubt that whoever is after Naruto, they would not hesitate in harming the boy if they found him. Haste is of the utmost importance, not just for Naruto's sake, but for the other missing children as well. They may be in just as much danger as he is at this point in time." Just as Sarutobi was about to dismiss the three jounin, a heavy voice sounded from nearby, interrupting them in their briefing.

"I'll go with as well." Everyone turned to the source of the bold statement, only to see Jiraiya standing against the wall right next to the window he had just used as an entrance.

"Besides..." He continued. "I owe that boy a great debt for what I've done to him and I intend to pay him with a large amount of interest as well." The others in the room couldn't help but gape in surprise at the sudden arrival and even Kakashi couldn't help but show a hint of his apparent shock.

_'I wasn't even able to detect him at all. He really is something else if he managed to slip past my senses...'_ The only person who didn't seem at all fazed by the interruption was the Hokage, who instead opted to smile at the sannin's untimely arrival.

"If you wanted to know what was going on, you could have simply asked." The old man smiled. "There is no need to eavesdrop on us from outside the window." Jiraiya simply grinned in return before pushing his back up off the wall.

"So, you knew I was there all along? I must be getting rusty if I'm being snuffed out by such an old man, even if he is the Hokage."

"I may be old..." Sarutobi replied defiantly. "... but I know my students well enough as it is and your presence was always one of the easiest for me to recognize, but enough of that. If you truly wish to accompany these three, I will not refuse you that right. After all, you have always done whatever it is you have wanted for quite some time now and I doubt anything I say would deter you in the slightest."

Jiraiya nodded his head in approval, before turning to face his fellow shinobi, who were all by now staring curiously at the toad sannin. He simply shrugged off their bewildered expressions and settled his arms into a fold across his chest, adopting a far more serious expression than any one of them would have thought him capable of.

"Alright then, I'll meet you three outside the Northern Gate in the next fifteen minutes. Just make sure you are ready for a long trip because this may be a lot harder than we think."

With that, all of them made their way out of the office in order to prepare for the coming mission, all except for Jiraiya who had since turned back to face his former teacher. The old man took a last heave from his tobacco and then coughed lightly into his hands, gaining an awkward smile from his one-man audience.

"You should really stop smoking you know." He lectured, almost sounding like another certain former teammate had on a number of occasions.

"That pipe will be the death of you if you aren't careful." Sarutobi simply draped the smouldering ornament from the tip of his mouth and set it down on the table, having now expended its life completely.

"Many a shinobi have lost their lives for lesser reasons." He smirked in return. "If I am going to die, I assure you that it will be for something far more important than a simple misuse of tobacco. I don't intend to leave this world the victim of some distasteful habit, although I think that when it comes to bad habits, yours is far more deadly to your health than mine."

Both men just laughed heartily at the joke shared between them. It was a simple luxury that neither of them had been able to enjoy lately in their old age, especially after the numerous incidents that revolved around a certain young blond that both had sworn to protect. However, just thinking about that subject caused them both to sour into heavy frowns and soon the room was silent again.

_'How long was it before you were finally able to laugh... Naruto?'_ Jiraiya thought quietly to himself. _'How long was it before you could even afford to smile, before you had a reason to be happy at all? Those bastards at the orphanage would have probably hit you just for that reason alone...'_

The man then turned to look up to his former sensei with a heavy frown, who had since adopted the same expression that he himself bore as well. They had both failed Naruto in their own way, both having allowed the boy to live a life without love and warmth for far too long without intervening when they could. It was something no child should have ever gone through and it was also something that Naruto never deserved in the slightest.

Now that the boy had finally acquired the only thing he had ever wished for in his entire life, the love of a family, he now stood to lose it all once more. It was an unfair injustice for him to have to suffer so desperately against such overwhelming odds and Naruto deserved better than that after everything he had gone through. They both knew it...

"So... why...?" It was all the sannin could mumble at the time, gaining a curious glance from the old man before him.

"Why are you going through so many lengths to protect Naruto? To send three high level jounin just to protect one boy, who doesn't even hold any political importance to the village as a whole other than his status as the container of a monster, it's unlike a Hokage to do that. It puts Konoha at a disadvantage by thinning out our high ranked shinobi for a single child. Common sense would stipulate that you should allow Naruto to be sacrificed in order to protect the rest of the village and yet you are willingly placing others in danger to save him."

Sarutobi just thought on the question for a short while, searching for the right words to answer with. After a few brief moments, he looked back up again with a stern expression, one that clearly showed his iron resolve in light of the matter at hand.

"The moment a village's people are willing to sacrifice an innocent child to save themselves, even just a single one, that is the moment that those people are no longer worth saving at all. To do such a thing is an act un-befitting of those who would call themselves real men and it is the very thing that will strip away our humanity and reduce us to nothing more than monsters ourselves. It is better for all of us to die as humans, than to live as monsters who would commit such a terrible injustice. To die protecting the village is something that should be resolved for old men like myself, those who have already lived our lives and found happiness at some point."

The old man then allowed a brief smile to touch against his frail, discolored lips, but despite that, it was easy to see the pain hidden away in his expression.

"Besides..." He continued. "... Naruto has already sacrificed enough for Konoha as it is and he continues to do so every day that he keeps the Kyuubi housed within him. It is unfair of us to expect him to give up what little happiness he has found since then for our sakes. He deserves better than that, from all of us, and we have failed him enough times as it is."

Sarutobi then allowed the smile to fade away again, once more revealing his cold, stern expression. It was the face of a Hokage, rather than that of an old frail man and the strength in his eyes spoke clearly of the hidden power he still wielded. His eyes were now firmly locked into his former student and were filled with an unwavering purpose that had long since bored itself into his heart.

"What about you Jiraiya?" He asked calmly, never once allowing his face to betray a single emotion. "I see you are still loyal to Minato's wish, if you are so readily pursuing his son's safety and happiness. You were always loyal to that man above all else, even more so than to the village itself."

Jiraiya just shook his head gently and then turned to make for the door, leaving a curious Sarutobi staring at his back. He was growing short on time and the others would be upset if he was even a second late, not that he blamed them though. The sannin stopped only briefly to take one last look back at his former sensei.

"Although it's true that I did promise Minato that I would take care of his son, that isn't why I am doing this, at least not any more. I'm doing this for Naruto now and for him alone. I owe a great debt to that boy for the life I was never able to provide for him... for the... love... I never... showed him... and he deserves my full attention from now onwards." Jiraiya then turned to face the door again, removing his gaze from the old man waiting in the room.

"I won't make the mistake of abandoning him again and I won't allow him to die so soon after he's finally gained what is most important. To me, Naruto now comes before this village and everyone in it and he comes before any promise I have made in the past. Minato may have deemed it fit to save these people from the Kyuubi by sealing it into his own son, but I will not show them any such kindness or mercy in light of how they have dishonored both of their sacrifices."

The legendary ninja then disappeared back into the hallway, leaving Sarutobi to linger in the wake of his last words. The old man shook off the surprise that had gripped him and then smiled warily, knowing full well that the toad sannin meant every word he said.

He would not dare to challenge the righteous fury he would face should anything befall the boy who Jiraiya had placed under his own  
responsibility and protection and he knew that his former student would have little mercy on anyone that would dare to go against him, even if it meant turning against the village itself.

_'I pity the careless fool who tries to harm that boy now.'_ He thought quietly to himself before standing up to look outside the windows that gazed over the rest of the village. _'Between him and Iruka, I don't think there will be much left of their victim for Anko to 'play' with.'_

The old man then allowed his weary eyes to wander over the simple beauty that Konoha possessed as it glowed warmly in the morning sunlight. Unfortunately, it was a beauty that tragically hid an uglier side of the people that resided within it, a secret that no-one would have expected from such a seemingly wondrous place.

_'Even the most beautiful of flowers can often posses some of the sharpest thorns.'_

Sarutobi was actually half expecting a series of well-timed explosions to go off at any moment now, knowing full well that Anko would have probably taken the news of Naruto's disappearance very poorly. He wasn't in the least bit disappointed or surprised when he saw the sudden flashes of orange light bursting off in the distance, followed by small vibrations of shock that rattled the windows soon afterwards. He couldn't help but smile inwardly, despite the numerous problems this would cause later on and the paperwork he would be cursed with as a result.

_'No wonder she was so calm in the briefing.'_ The aged Hokage thought humorously to himself. '_She was simply waiting for the right moment to let it all out. At least Naruto has precious people who care enough about him to go against even Konoha itself. I only hope that it isn't too late to fix our mistakes and keep him safe with the ones he loves so dearly...'_

Unfortunately, unknown to them all, that very boy as now fighting for his life and those of his companions, sacrificing his own well-being once more to protect others from harm.

--

"Get back here you little brat!!! When we catch you, we're going to make sure you know what it's like to feel real pain and then once we've killed you, we're going to kill your little friends as well!!!"

Naruto continued to rush through the dense forest as he tried to escape the voices that followed closely behind him, his heart now racing from the mixture of fear and adrenaline running through his veins. He knew that his pursuers were quickly catching up to his position and that it would only be a matter of time before he would be forced to fight to defend himself, but even then he continued to run regardless.

He had to make as much ground between his attackers and his companions as possible, he had to protect them even if it meant dying alone. At least this way, they would all have a chance to escape, even if it was only a small one.

The young boy quickly broke into a small clearing in full sprint, narrowly dodging a kunai that flew out of the trees and hit the ground beside him. He already had a few nicks and cuts along his arms and legs from the closer encounters with the weapons hurled at him and his clothes had sustained more than a few gashes that were a stark reminder of how narrowly he had escaped some of them.

Just before Naruto could dive into the cover of bushes in front of him, one of his attackers suddenly appeared out from the trees, landing between the boy and his haven. Naruto quickly skid to a halt and narrowly ducked under the sweeping kick aimed at his head before he jumped back again. He quickly turned to run in the opposite direction, but found his path being blocked by another shinobi.

"Damn it..." He cursed under his breath. "I was hoping to get a bit further than this..."

Soon the small field was completely inhabited by more shinobi and Naruto quickly found himself being surrounded on all sides. The young boy began to retreat back on his heels as the group closed in around him, but there was nowhere else to go anymore.

"You should have known that this little chase would have ended sooner or later. A kid like you doesn't stand a chance against us."

Naruto quickly turned to face the source of the voice, but just as he did, he felt a sharp pain embedding itself into his stomach. The young boy looked up to see a smirking face glaring back down at him, admiring his horror filled expression, and found his small hands wandering to the source of the burning sensation now stinging at his abdomen.

Which is when he looked back down again and noticed the bloodied kunai embedded in his stomach, still held tightly by the hand that had stuck it there.

"Like I said before..." The man snickered again. "... Kids like you don't even stand a chance, so there's no point in resisting. Unfortunately for you, this won't be quick either way and it definitely won't be painless."

Just then, the small boy burst into a cloud of smoke, surprising all of the shinobi present with the sudden flashy _'death'_. The man that had struck at him cursed under his breath as he realized what had happened.

"Damn it!!! It's a shadow clone!!!" He growled.

_"Unfortunately for you guys, I don't intend to die that easily!"_

All the shinobi searched the area, trying to find the source of the voice that echoed around them, but found nothing other than the trees that grew across the clearing.

_"If you want to kill me so badly, then you're going to have to find me first!"_ Another taunt came again, seemingly from nowhere. The man quickly turned to his subordinates with an irate glare while biting his lip in frustration.

"Alright, everyone spread out and find that stupid kid _NOW_!!!" At the command, all of the shinobi quickly scattered across the area, searching for the boy they were hired to kill. The leader quickly shot off into the trees with two of his fellow companions and began their hunt, leaving no stone un-turned and no tree unscathed.

"When we find that brat, I'm gonna make sure he suffers for this!"

One of the shibobi quickly sprinted across a small open gap in the forest before coming to rest against a nearby tree, peering around its base in order to get a better glimpse of his surroundings. He could hear the faint sounds of shuffling feet rummaging through the nearby bushes and suppressed a wicked smirk.

"So, the kid is as careless as he is foolish, to give away his position so easily..."

**"Magen! Jubaku Satsu!"** Just then, thick tendrils suddenly burst out of the base of the tree, ensnaring the unlucky ninja in its grasp before he had a chance to get away.

"I'm sorry, but it's time for you to go to sleep now..." The man quickly looked up to the source of the voice, only to see two golden eyes staring back down at him, revealing the form of the young boy as he emerged out of the side of the tree.

Naruto quickly formed a single seal in one hand and slammed his other palm into his opponent's forehead, knocking him out cold before he could even call for help. The man's body quickly fell through the illusionary tendrils that had held him in place and slumped down on the floor.

_'I'm surprised he fell for such a basic distraction.'_ Naruto thought quietly to himself, before disappearing into the tree once more. Just then, one of the other shinobi noticed the prone body lying on the ground and quickly moved to approach it.

"Hey, what are you doing lying around like that?" He stammered uneasily, as he made his way to his companion. "This is no time to be... gaaaahhh!!!!"

Suddenly, them man felt two small hands gripping around his ankles, causing him to flinch unexpectedly from the sudden sensation he felt coursing through his skin. It was short lived though and before he even knew what was happening, the surprised shinobi was quickly pulled into the ground until he as buried up to his neck before Naruto popped out of the earth beside him.

The man desperately let out a gargled cry just as the boy tapped him on the head with an open palm and knocked him out. Unfortunately, it was already too late to stop his call for help and the young boy cursed under his breath, knowing that the others would be there to investigate within a few seconds.

"Damn it, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Naruto quickly formed another single hand seal and disappeared in a burst of swirling leaves just as the other shinobi arrived on the scene. The leader quickly spotted the two victims sprawled across the forest floor and growled under his breath.

"What the hell is going on here?!" He grumbled angrily.

Just then, the faint sounds of footsteps could be heard coming from nearby, followed by what sounded like the rustling of leaves. The shinobi quickly searched the area with keen eyes, but found nothing other than the empty trees and soft earth beneath their feet.

"Sir, I can't see him anywhere. It's like the boy's not even there!" The leader just grunted under his breath, but then his eyes widened in surprise when an idea came to mind. The man quickly searched the area once more, carefully inspecting the forest around himself.

"Wait a second..." He mumbled to himself. "Something isn't right here. There aren't any birds in the trees but I can hear their singing." Naruto just took a deep gulp of dread from where he was hiding.

_'Crap!!! they've noticed!!! I have to get out of here before they find me!!!'_

The boy quickly darted out of the bushes and ran past the otherwise oblivious shinobi, who still couldn't see him because of the genjutsu he had in place, but before he could get far, the leader noticed the sound of his footsteps and turned to face it's source, before raising his hands into a seal.

**"Kai!!!"**

Suddenly, the entire area wavered and distorted, before reverting back to its original form, and many of the nearby trees suddenly disappeared in a wavering mist, having never actually been there in the first place. Naruto quickly paused in his tracks and turned to face his opponents who were now all glaring at him distastefully, like a sullen mouse caught in a trap ready to be disposed of. The young boy just took a nervous gulp of dread and began to quiver on his feet, knowing full well that his advantage had just disappeared into the wind.

"Um... hey there..." He stammered uneasily. "I guess you guys are pretty angry about being tricked and all..." The leader of the group merely smirked at the boy's attempt to buy time, before shaking his head in disdain.

"I have to admit, that was a pretty impressive genjutsu kid, but you need to pay more attention to your surroundings if you want it to be convincing enough. You're still far too inexperienced with live combat to match us." The man's grin then fell away again, instead being replaced with a stern expression that told Naruto that he now meant business.

"Still... it is surprising that an academy student would even be able to cast a genjutsu at all, much less over such a larger area. That would take a lot of chakra to maintain, but then again... you are a monster after all."

Naruto just cringed at the accusing title he was given and began to steadily back away from his opponents, creating enough ground between them for him to effectively predict their movements. He knew that he wouldn't last long in an open battle against all of them, but he also knew that running was now out of the question. All he could do at this point was fight to the best of his capabilities and try to buy as much time as possible.

"So, are you finally ready to die Kyuubi???" The boy just crouched lower to the ground and spread his palms out in front of himself defiantly, allowing his golden eyes to search carefully over his opponents in order to prepare for any attack, while blocking out everything else around himself.

The other shinobi took that as a que to begin and immediately initiated their assault, hurling a flurry of kunai at the waiting boy with little pause or remorse. Naruto quickly jumped up into the air and spun around with his momentum, while deflecting the stray projectiles that made their way over to him. The boy then landed on the branch of a nearby tree and bounded away again, jumping from surface to surface with his pursuers hot on his tracks.

One of the shinobi managed to come up from underneath him and slammed a kick into his side, sending him sprawling across the air with a startled yelp of pain.

"Gaaaahhh!!!" Naruto quickly corrected himself in mid flight and grabbed onto an outstretched branch, before spinning himself around it base and increasing his momentum even further.

He then slingshot himself straight back towards his attacker and delivered a sharp kick to the side of his head, sending the man right into the moist ground bellow. Unfortunately, the shinobi didn't seem too fazed by the attack, because soon he was up on his feet again giving chase once more while forming a series of hand seals.

"So the kids has some skill! Lets see him stop this!!! **Doton!!!! Doro Juugan!!!"**

The man then slammed his hands into the ground while summoning a wall of mud in front of himself. Naruto skid to a halt on the floor and turned to face his attacker just in time to see the numerous bullets of earth firing out of the surface of the wall and straight towards him.

"Crap!!! I have to act fast!!!" The boy quickly formed his own seals and then held out his hands in front of himself, his fingers slightly overlapping one another.

**"Fuuton!!! Kaze no Arashi!!!" **

A sudden gale of wind emanated off of the tips of Naruto's palms before blowing away the deadly projectiles in a devastating maelstrom of dirt and leaves. Naruto tried to peer through the plume to find his opponent in the aftermath of his jutsu and would have probably missed the incoming attack if it weren't for the distinctive glow that gave away his enemy's position to his eyes. The boy quickly jumped in to the air just in time to avoid his opponent's charge, but unfortunately, he never noticed the other shinobi flanking him from he side.

"Take this... brat!!!" The man quickly threw an explosive kunai directly at the temporarily suspended boy, knowing that Naruto had little chance of avoiding the blow. The said youngster noticed the projectile at the last moment and tried desperately to twist his body around to deflect it, but it was already too late to avoid completely.

The kunai narrowly skimmed past Naruto's body, inflicting a deep cut on his upper right arm just beneath his shoulder, before slamming into the tree behind him with a blinding explosion. The force of the shockwave sent Naruto sailing across the air and deposited him in the nearby bushes, before deftly slamming him into the ground with a heavy crash.

**"Aggghhh!!!!"** The young boy let out a deep gasping cry of pain as the wind was knocked out of his lungs, before rolling onto his side to try and ease the overwhelming pressure on his chest. Naruto then stumbled up to his knees while holding his arms around his stomach, breathing heavily in a desperate fight for oxygen.

"D... damn it..." He gasped. "At this rate... I'm not going to last long." The young blond then tore the bottom of his pants on the left leg and tied the acquired fabric around the wound on his arm, trying his best to stem the blood-flow that was now soaking his right sleeve a crimson red. It was one of fthe many lessons he had leanred from his father during their afternoons together, but he knew that it was only a temporary substitute for proper medical treatment.

He was trying his best to fight the tears that stung at his eyes, trying his best to remain strong despite the hopelessness of the situation, but the pain that rung throughout his body was quickly becoming overwhelming and he was starting to feel weak from the chakra exhaustion and blood-loss he had suffered.

"I... I have to keep trying. I have to fight..." He mumbled sourly to himself.

"Please, don't make me laugh!!!" Naruto shot his head back up again to see his attacker stumble into the crop of bushes he was hiding in, causing his face to cringe in fear.

"You never stood a chance from the beginning!" The man continued. "This is how things were going to end up regardless of how much you fought against it! That is your fate!!!"

The man then charged at the defenseless boy as he continued to kneel on the ground, drawing out a kunai into his open had to deliver the final blow to his young opponent. Naruto could do nothing but stare as the shadowy figure raced towards him, his eyes shot red with bloodlust and an innate desire to kill.

_'Everyone... I'm so sorry. I wish.. I wish I could have done better...' _

Tears began to roll down the youngster's cheeks as his demise approached, seemingly in slow motion, knowing full well that there was little chance of escape now, but they weren't tears shed for himself. Rather, they flowed for the ones he knew would end up being hurt because of his weakness, the ones he had failed to protect from harm.

"Die now you stupid little monster!!!!!!!!"

**"No one is dying yet!!!!!!** **Ryuuton!!!!! Teikoku Karyuu!!!!!**

Suddenly, a large bright sphere of golden fire burst out from the nearby bushes before slamming into the would-be attacker with a crushing force. The blast sent the man hurtling across the ground before landing in a smoldering heap on the forest floor.

"W...what...?" Naruto just stared blankly at the motionless form lying on the ground across from him, seemingly lost in the shock of what had just happened. "I... I didn't do that..." After that, the boy could hear the faint sounds of shuffling coming from the nearby bushes, causing him to tense up in fear once more.

"W... who's there???" He stammered uneasily. Just then, a small bronze figure leapt out from the leaves and pounced onto Naruto's chest, knocking the boy over to the ground.

**"Naruto-chan!!!!" **Naruto's eyes suddenly widened when he realized who it was staring back into his golden eyes and suddenly the tears just fell again, no longer willing to hold themselves back anymore.

"R... Ryuukimi... it's... you." The boy instinctively moved his arms around the small dragon and squeezed him tightly against his chest, completely ignoring the wound on his arm in favor of the moment. He could hardly see the glimmering bronze wings through his blurred vision, but the feelings coursing through his skin were all the confirmation he needed.

"It really is you... but how did you know where I was? How did you know where to find me?" Ryuukimi paused for a brief moment before speaking in a near whisper, something that was unusual for the normally rowdy dragon.

"I... I just felt you again. I could feel that you were in trouble, so I just followed where my heart was telling me to go. When I saw you get knocked down by the explossion, I... I thought I had lost you again. I'm glad to see I didn't lose you..."

Naruto just smile into his tears, holding his small companion even closer than before while basking in the warmth offered by his touch. It made him feel that much stronger just having the dragon by his side. Ryuukimi never made any attempt to resist the tight embrace, instead allowing himself to be held closely by the young boy. The emotions being passed between one another at the time was invigorating for the blond youngster and it gave him an inner strength and power that he never felt while he was alone. It was.. comforting...

"I knew you'd find me... I always knew you would. Somehow... somehow I just knew you were still alive and that you would come for me..." The young dragon just curled up into his companion's hold, ensuring that the boy was easily comforted by his small warm body while feeding him any possitive emotions he could garner.

"Of course I came silly..." He grinned nervously. "Someone has to save your ass from all this trouble you keep getting yourself into."

Naruto just giggled under his breath, causing him to choke on a sob of relief as he wiped away the tears from his eyes. He then carefully stood back up to his feet again, feeling a bit light headed from bloodloss, before allowing the young dragon to take a place on his shoulders once more. Ryuukimi noticed the crimson red stains of blood on his right arm, having been too overwhelmed to see it before, and frowned at the sight of his friend's wound.

"Naruto-chan, you're... bleeding..." Naruto took a brief glance at his arm and then looked back up to his friend.

"Don't worry, the wound wasn't too deep. It just hurts a lot, that's all." He tried to reassure his companion, although he wasn't too convinced himself.

"Right now, we need to find a way to ditch these guys before they kill us both, or at least somehow manage to beat them. Genjutsu is out of the question. I already used it once and I don't think they would fall for it twice in a row. It won't be long before the rest of them find us again and I dont think running away is possible either."

Ryuukimi just propped his head up confidently, before spreading his wings out to either side of Naruto, causing the boy to appear much more intimidating than the small child he appeared to be before.

"Don't worry Naruto-chan, now that we're together we'll give them one hell of a fight!"

--

"Where is that brat? He couldn't have just disappeared again." One of the shinobi mumbled, searching the area for the said blond. It was quickly becoming frustrating for the small group of ninja and they were begining to wonder how one boy could cause so much trouble.

"Could it be a genjutsu again? He might be using one to hide his presence."

"No.... I don't think so." The sharp reply came. "We would have noticed it if he cast another one while we're in the area. Genjutsu aren't half as effective when the enemy is already expecting them. They rely on surprise just as much as they do on subtlety. We should simply stick together and keep searching the area until we find him."

**"Ryuuton!!!!! Teikoku Karyuu!!!!!"**

The man's words were quickly interrupted the the sudden call for an attack, shortly before another golden sphere of fire burst out from the trees and spurted towards the unexpected shinobi.

"Damn it!!! Since when could the brat use fire based jutsu!?!?" One of them growled as the group quickly jumped out of the way of the blast. The smoldering crater left behind was a clear testament as to the result that would have been incurred if they hadn't moved on time.

"I can't use fire, but my buddy here can!!!" All of the present shinobi turned to face the young voice that called out to them, only to see a small boy with golden eyes standing on the far side of the small crater. On top of his shoulders was the small bronze dragon that had initiated the attack, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the source of his companion's pain.

"So, the kid has decided to become brave and fight us head on. A foolish move for someone so young and inexperienced. In case you hadn't noticed, it's six on one and we're far more experienced than some academy runt who hardly rises above our waist in height."

Ryuukimi just snorted at the bold claim, before puffing a plume of smoke out of his nostrils. "Maybe you guys are blind, but in case _you_ hadn't noticed, it's six on _two_ and we don't intend to lose either!!!"

"Please, as if you stand a chance. You may have been lucky before, but now that we've got you out in the open without your little tricks to save you, there's little chance of victory. You've probably already exhausted most of your chakra and you're wounded as well."

Naruto just frowned knowingly, before falling back into his taijutsu stance, allowing his golden eyes to reflect the world around him while showing him the very life force of his attackers. Ryuukimi followed his companion's movements just as they had when fighting Kakashi, only this time there was no cheer or excitement in his eyes. This time, they were dead serious.

"I... I know that I don't stand much of a chance..." The boy mumbled. "... and I know I probably won't make it through this alive, but even still I will continue to fight and do my best. I have important people I need to protect and I don't want them to get hurt, so even if it means I have to feel the worst kind of pain, I will bear it if it means they don't have to suffer."

The boy then narrowed his eyes, trying to bask in the confidence of his companion's touch, before speaking once more in a near whisper.

"I... I made a promise to someone important. I promised him that I would grow stronger, to protect the ones who are important to me, the ones I love. I will keep that promise, even if it means I have to die doing so."

The enemy shinobi just glared disapprovingly at the young boy as he continued to stand his ground unmoving, discarding the fear that had gripped him before and replacing it with a newfound resolve. They could see that he wasn't going to back down or run away, they could see the truth of his words in his eyes, and it was infuriating.

The reality was, that Naruto was really scared, even though he didn't show it. He didn't want to die, he wanted to see his father again. He wanted to feel the man's loving arms wrap around him and hold him. He wanted to hear his gentle voice as he told the boy how much he loved him, but even still, he knew that he could not run. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if someone else got hurt because he ran away.

"Very well, if you want to die so badly, we'll grant your request. It's a real pity that so much talent should be wasted on a monster like you."

And that was it. The enemy shinobi immediately moved into action and darted around the crater that separated them from their prey, flanking the boy from both sides as they came around him in a pincer movement. Naruto just remained crouching in his position, carefully tracking their movements and waiting for the right moment to move while Ryuukimi eyed them out for possible attacks.

As the two groups came to either side of the boy, one shinobi from each side began to form a series of hand seals respectively. Naruto noticed that the others were staying back, which meant they were preparing a large scale jutsu.

"Ryuukimi, you know what to do..." The dragon nodded his head and wrapped his tail around the boy's chest just as their attackers called out their jutsu.

**"Doton!!!! Doro Juugan!!!"**

**"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!!!"**

A sharp hail of bullets quickly blasted out of the ground on Naruto's left and made there way towards the young boy, while a large ball of fire encroached from the opposite direction. Naruto quickly slammed his hands together and released his wind based chakra, while Ryuukimi spread his wings out to the side, causing the two to fly up into the air while rising above the blast that echoed beneath them.

"Here they come!!!" The boy shouted again, noticing the illuminated figures moving up through the smoke towards them.

Just then, four kunai shot up through the plume of debris and up towards the two waiting youngsters, who were still suspended in mid air, followed by an equal amount of shinobi trailing close behind. Naruto quickly deflected the projectiles while Ryuukimi fired bursts of fire at their attackers, managing to hit two of them before they got close. Although the blasts weren't enough to do too much damage, it would certainly hurt.

The other two managed to slip past the periodic blasts of flame and immediately clashed with the two youngsters in the sky, exchanging blows while Naruto carefully parried one strike after another in a delicate mid air dance. Ryuukimi used his wings to block an attack that Naruto was otherwise unable to reach, creating a deadlock between the three combatants (and one dragon) as they sailed through the air.

Another figure quickly burst out of the shadows from behind and moved to strike at the boy in his vulnerability, who was already preoccupied as it was, something that Ryuukimi noticed out of the corner of his eyes.

"Naruto-chan!!! Behind you!!!" The young boy took the warning and quickly broke away from his two attackers, while his companion used his wings to turn them around in mid air to face the new arrival.

Naruto then deflected the outstretched kunai that tried to embed itself in his chest before spinning backwards and flinging the attacker towards his two companions, using his wind based chakra and Ryuukimi's wings to assist his movements, and sending the three sprawling towards the ground. Soon afterwards the two youngsters landed on the forest floor nearby while Naruto quickly formed a series of hand seals.

**"Fuuton!!! Kaze no Arashi!!!!"** At the same time that Naruto unleashed his attack, Ryuukimi blew a torrent of fire into the maelstrom of wind, unleashing a massive inferno on the three surprised shinobi who only narrowly managed to avoid the attack.

The young boy searched the aftermath for his opponents' life force, only to notice even more shinobi entering the field around him. It wasn't long before the two were surrounded once more, causing Naruto to lose even more hope that before.

"Damn it, this isn't going to work. Every time we manage to land a hit on one of them, they just swap around with one another fresh body and attack again. We're never going to beat them at this rate." Naruto then closed his eyes in thought, trying to think of any possible way to even the odds a bit more, while Ryuukimi kept an eye out for their approaching enemies.

The young boy quickly snapped his eyes back open again just as an idea came to mind. "Alright, I guess I have no choice but to try use that. It's risky, but there isn't much else I can do right now."

He then held out his arm in front of him and began to channel his chakra through the seal that had been placed on the back of his hand, causing it to glow gently in a soft golden light. All of his attackers paused in their advance, cautiously staring at the strange occurrence in case it was a jutsu about to be unleashed upon them.

"What are you doing Naruto-chan?" Ryuukimi whispered, only loud enough for the boy to hear.

"I'm calling us a bit more help. You'll see what I mean soon enough." The boy then raised his hand up into the air, causing the seal to glow even more brightly before illuminating the entire area in a haze of golden light. Their attackers quickly shielded their eyes from the blinding display.

"Alright, it's time to test my new weapon!!! **Tenpo!!! Ryuuga no Meshi!!!"**

The bright haze that illuminated the field suddenly disappeared in a sudden burst of energy, before a crack of thunder echoed throughout the forest while a pillar of golden shot straight down into the earth right in front of Naruto's feet. As soon as the light melted away again, there, standing in the middle of the smouldering patch of earth was the very same sword that Naruto had summoned just a few days before.

The elegant blade clearly reflected the surrounding forest in a crystal light, while the ruins inscribed on the length of its surface stood out clearly to the eye. There was only one thing Ryuukimi could say as he stared blankly at the newly summoned weapon.

"That... is so awesome!!!" The young dragon's bulged out like saucers and his mouth simply gaped open like that of an overgrown fish.

"When did you learn to do that?!" Naruto just placed his hand around the hilt of the blade, causing the ruins to glow gently under his touch. Now that he had his Tenraigan active, he could see the flow of his spirit entering into the blade and giving it life. It made the elegant weapon look that much more beautiful to his eyes.

"It's name is Ryuuga and I learned how to summon it from my scroll. I think it reacts to my life force when I touch it and it may even grow more powerful depending on how much I give it."

Naruto then pulled the sword out of the ground and held it outstretched in his grasp, using both hands to grasp the length of its hilt to balance its size. Even though he had never wielded it in battle before, it still somehow felt unusually comfortable in his grasp, almost as though it were made for him and most would think so if it wasn't so long for his otherwise small frame. His audience seemed almost as surprised as Ryuukimi was, because they had yet to attack him since summoning it, although they quickly got over their shock.

"So, the little boy wants to play with some toys then." One of them sneered again. "Unfortunately for you, the big boys have their own toys as well." The man then pulled out a kodachi out from a sheath on his back, brandishing the short blade threateningly towards the young boy in front of him.

"Lets see how you can handle that thing in a real fight!" The man then charged forward again, prompting Naruto to take a defensive stance in preparation for his attack while his other opponents watched the exchange with interested smirks.

He began to feel the slight traces of fear build up in the put of his stomach as the menacing ninja closed the distance between them and the sword he held seemed to react as well. The glyphs on its surface began to sputter erratically, almost as if to match his emotions, while dimming somewhat into a darker, more threatening shade. It as almost as if it was a defensive warning, warding off his attacker.

"Take this!!!" The man then came crashing down with a vertical strike, fully intent on splitting the boy and his dragon in two. Naruto responded by lifting the length of his sword to block the attack, but was surprised by the reaction. As soon as the two blades came into contact with one another, a sharp flash of light burst from the point of contact just as the glyphs flashed in a sudden sputter of golden hew.

Naruto watched with widened eyes as his attacker was sent hurtling through the air by the sudden burst of energy, before landing on the ground a few meters away from where he stood.

"What the hell was that?" Ryuukimi gaped, shocked by the strange reaction. Naruto quickly shook of his sudden bout of shock and then glanced at the blade in his hand.

"I... I don't know. I think it might react to my emotions. When that guy was attacking a became a bit scared, so it must have been trying to protect me."

The two didn't have long to think about though, because soon the rest of their opponents were on the move again. Naruto quickly jumped up onto a nearby branch to escape a sudden flurry of kunai thrown in his direction, only to be pursued by another two enemy shinobi though the trees.

Weapons clashed in a symphony of metal striking against metal as both boy and dragon ricocheted in between each enemy attack, using the trees as makeshift springboards to fling themselves through the air. The boy was quickly becoming tired and Ryuukim inoticed his fatigue through their contact with one another.

_'Crap, this isn't going well. Naruto-chan is getting tired and I think he's used too much chakra already. He may have also lost too much blood from his wound...'_

Naruto quickly avoided another strike directed at him, jumping up from the branch he was perched on before coming back down with a heavy strike. His opponent moved out of the way just in time to avoid being split in half as the boy's sword cleaved cleanly through the outstretched branch. The two youngsters then landed on the ground bellow with a heavy thud.

"Ugghh!!!! This is to hard!" Naruto coughed, using the base of the tree as a leaning post. "I... I just can't do this... It's too much."

"Didn't I tell you you could never win!!!" The boy quickly looked back up again just in time to see the explosive tag flying in his direction.

Unfortunately it was too late to avoid completely and the resounding blast manage to pick him up off his feat as he made a desperate dash to get away. The resulting explosion sent the two youngsters flying through the air, causing Ryuukimi to lose his position on Naruto's shoulders before landing in a nearby bush, while the boy himself slammed back first into the base of another nearby tree.

The sword that was held in his hand fell to the ground as the pain shot throughout his body, but before the boy could even fall to the ground, another sharp pain pushed into his right hand.

"Gaaahhh!!!!!!" Naruto looked down to see a kunai being embedded in his palm, pinning it down to the tree while blood began to fall freely from the wound.

"See kid, this is the pain you feel when you resist your fate. This is what you get for embarrassing me earlier with that sword of yours." The boy looked up through tear stained eyes to see the man who had spoken to him. He wanted to collapse on the spot, he wanted to just wilt down onto the floor and give up, but he was given no such relief from his pursuers.

The enemy ninja then pushed the boy's back up to the base of the tree again, holding his feet slightly off the ground, before plunging his kodachi into Naruto's left shoulder, pinning the youngster up to the hard surface behind him as the metal dug deeply into the firm, solid wood.

**"Aaaaghhhhh!!!!!!"** The screams of pain that came from the boy's mouth as the blade was twisted further into his flesh only cause the man to smile even more.

"That's right, cry out for help. Scream and let the rest of the world know just how weak you are!!! You failed your friends and you've failed to run away, so this is the punishment you will receive in return for that failure."

The ninja then took a step back and began to inspect his handiwork, admiring the boy's futile attempts to free himself from his desperate situation while the tears of pain continued to stream down his face. The boy was now effectively pinned up in place and he could no longer use his right hand to free himself.

His left hand was also unmovable, mostly because of the sword imbedded in his shoulder, and it was too painful to lift it further than above his waist. By now, Naruto's once white shirt was completely stained red with blood as it flowed from the gaping wound, causing his face to grow paler by the second, and his doujutsu was no longer present in his eyes.

"W... why...?" Naruto mumbled through his tears. "Why a... are you doing this? Why do you want to h... hurt me so badly? Why do you want to see me suffer so much?" The man's face soured into a frown.

"Because, monsters like you deserve to be hunted and killed. A normal death just doesn't cut it for the creature you are, so you will suffer for as long as possible." The man then pulled out a kunai from his holster and made his way over to where the boy was pinned up.

"Now that there is nowhere for you to go, I might as well have some fun with you. I hope you are ready to scream, because I won't stop until there isn't a single drop of life left in that body."

The man then inched the kunai closer to his prey, preparing to extract whatever horrifying cries of pain he could get from the boy. Naruto felt his eyes becoming heavier by the second as weakness consumed him and he was secretly hoping that he would pass out before his torture began, but fate had other plans.

**"No!!!! I wont let you hurt him!!!!!!!"** The man quickly turned around, but was too late to stop the blast of fire that struck him in the chest, sending him flying to the ground.

**"Naruto-chan!!****!" **

Ryuukimi quickly burst out of the nearby bushes and ran up to where Naruto was embedded into the tree. The young dragon carefully pulled out the kunai out of his right hand with his own sharp teeth, allowing the boy to move it freely, before carefully glancing over his friend once more. Naruto's feet were still dangling precariously off the ground and the wound in his shoulder was being damaged even further by his own body weight.

The small bronze creature then climbed up the side of the tree and tried to pull the kodachi out of the boy's shoulder, but it was embeded to firmly to move.

"Naruto-chan, we need to get this thing out of you. Please, I need your help!" Naruto just nodded his head weakly, before lifting his recently freed hand up to the hilt of the kodachi. Both boy and dragon used what little strength they could to pry the weapon free.

**"Nnnggghhhh!!!!!"** After a desperate attempt on both of their parts, the sword finally loosened and fell to the ground, followed shortly by Naruto's limp body. Ryuukim quickly jumped off the base of the tree and landed next to him, crouching by his side.

"Come on buddy... you need to get up! You have to try!" Naruto just looked back at his companion with tear strewn eyes, taking only a brief moment to blink as he tried to search for his friend, but instead he found only darkness.

"Ryuukimi... I... I can't see anymore. Everything is so dark." He cried in panic. The dragon almost shuddered at the fear he heard in the boy's voice as well as the terror clearly showing in his now blue eyes.

"It's... it's just too hard. I tried... I really did try my best, but it just... hurts too much. I feel... so tired." The boy then closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly in an effort to stem the flow of his tears while Ryuukimi tried desperately to search over his friend for any signs of hope.

"I only wish... that I could see... my dad one more time. I just wanted one last hug, just to feel his love when he held me in his arms, but... but at least I got to see... you again buddy. I'm... so ... so sorry..." After that, Naruto fell silent, no longer able to keep himself awake any longer. As soon as he fell unconscious, his sword, Ryuuga, promptly faded away in a golden light.

So, that's it then? The boy's finally fallen. Such a pity that he's not awake. I was hoping to hear him scream before he died." Ryuukimi looked up to the source of the voice only to shudder as the five remaining shinobi landed in the area. The dragon quickly jumped in front of his motionless companion, forming a barrier in between him and their attackers.

"Don't come near him!!!" The men just laughed at the aggressive display from the small ferocious creature.

"And what are you going to do hmmm? Such a small pet surely couldn't do anything to harm us..." Ryuukimi just narrowed his eyes dangerously before spreading his wings in an intimidating manner, making himself look bigger than he actually was.

"Don't underestimate me!!!! I might be small, but I'm not weak! If you come near my Naruto-chan I swear I'll tear you to shreds!!!!!!" Right then, the small trickle of what looked like tears began to fall from the dragon's eyes, only these tears burned the ground when the landed from his face.

**"I swear on my life, I'll kill every single one of you for what you did to my friend if you come any closer!!!!!"**

The ninja just dismissed the dragon's threat, instead adopting a far more serious expression themselves. They would not be denied their prey, not anymore.

"Forget this little runt, lets finish this boys!!!" The shiboi were just about to charge forward, but then suddenly found that there bodies were no longer responding to their commands. The young dragon just watched in surprise as the shinobi tried desperately to move, but it was all in vain.

"W... what the hell is going on?!?!?!" One of them shouted. "My muscles... they won't move!!!" Their anwser came in the form of a another young voice calling out from behind, causing Ryuukimi to search past the adults, only to see a familiar set of faces that caused his heart jump into his chest. A small glimmer of hope had finally come at last.

"Kagemane no Jutsu...... successful!"

--

Um... hehehe.... yeah.... O_o

*Quickly runs away and buys a plane ticket to an unknown part of the world while praying for my life to be spared* X_X

Alright, this battle was a _LOT_ longer than I thought it would be, so I had to cut off there. If it's any consolation, this was my longest chapter to date, (12 000 words) so you can't really complain. You'll just have to sit in suspense for a little while longer. At least Ryuukimi is back!!!!!!! ;)

**P.S.** I changed the name of Naruto's sword from 'Garyuu' to 'Ryuuga', as I have been told that it is a more accurate translation for 'Dragon Fang'.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!!!! ^ ^

**Notes:**

**"Tenpo! Ryuuga no Meshi!!!**" = Heavenly art! Summons of the Dragon Fang!!!  
**"Fuuton! Kaze no Arashi!!!"** = Wind Style! Wind Tempest/Storm!!!  
**"Doton! Doro Juugan!!!"** = Earth Style! Mud Bullets!!!  
**"Ryuuton! Teikoku Karyuu!!!"** = Dragon Style! Imperial Dragon Flame!!!  
**"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!!!"** = Fire Style! Fire Ball Jutsu!!!  
**"Magen! Jubaku Satsu!!!"** = Demonic Illusion! Tree Binding Death!!!  
**"Kagemane no Jutsu."** = Shadow Possession Jutsu.

**"Kai!"** = Release!

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	32. Chapter 32 The Promise of Hope

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Hey everyone! Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, of which I am sure many of you are aware, I was unable to update as quickly as I normally would, so this chapter is a bit late. Now that the problem has been fixed, hopefully things will get moving again.

This chapter is a lot _'calmer'_ than the last two, for obvious reasons. I'm sure you are all eager to see what happens though, so I won't keep you waiting with a long author's note.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter!!! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 32 - The Promise of Hope**

"So, it looks like the little demon has garnered some support after all. I must say, this little development was rather unexpected. I didn't think anyone would come looking for this boy at all, much less actually trying to save such a worthless pile of trash."

Ryuukimi's eyes narrowed dangerously as the ominous taunts of their attackers echoed menacingly throughout the forest, while his tears continued to burn away the very earth beneath his paws, almost as if to silently punish the world for its unfairness. It was bad enough that they had hurt his friend, but to call him a demon, to call him a worthless pile of trash, that was something that the dragon could not forgive.

The young creature was quickly losing his faith in humans and probably would have given up on them altogether already if it weren't for the few good ones he had met in the likes of Lee and Iruka and the ones that had just brought a promise of hope to the survival of his companion. The only human he could ever love unconditionally, the only one he would give his life for to protect from harm, was now lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood and tears, the victim of a merciless attack from those who hated him just for being alive.

Ryuukimi quickly took the offered opportunity that presented itself to look back towards Naruto's battered, prone form. He couldn't help but wince at the crimson colour of blood he saw as it stained the boy's shirt and the forest floor beneath him as he lay there motionless, before turning his burning eyes back to see their rescuers standing on the other end of the enemy shinobi.

There, positioned on one knee with a 'Rat' seal held firmly in his hands, was a very grave looking Shikamaru. Only this was a different boy to the one he had seen only a few days before. Gone was his lazy and bored expression, instead in its place was a stern coldness that would have been misplaced to see for anyone that knew him. Standing closely beside him, with her Byakugan burning in her eyes, was an equally distraught Hinata, who had since adopted a furious glare that easily spoke of her inner anger.

"You made....... _two_ mistakes..." The young Nara eventually announced in response to his opponents' earlier quip, only this time the usually sullen expression he normally bore was now replaced with a far more serious and methodical tone than had ever been heard from him before.

"The first mistake you made, was that you underestimated us because we were just kids, assuming that we were weak and defenseless..." Shikamaru then narrowed his eyes dangerously, while forcing the six shinobi to turn and face him.

The men just snarled as the image of their bane came into their view, but the young Nara wasn't intimidated in the least bit. He knew he had them just where he wanted them and there was nothing left to chance anymore. The _'game'_ was now over.

"... and the second mistake you made..." He continued in the same low monotone he started with. "... was that you simply assumed that we would leave our companion behind and run away like scared little children. Unfortunately for you, we aren't as cold hearted or as cowardly as you may have thought." One of the men just snarled at the calm confidence he saw in the young boy that faced off with him.

"That's big talk for a little kid like you! You may think you're tough because you caught us off guard, but even I can see that your chakra is running out quickly. I doubt you could hold that jutsu for more than two minutes at the most."

Shikamaru didn't even flinch at the imposed threat directed towards him, instead opting to stand carefully to his feet while still maintaining a firm hold on his jutsu. He knew Hinata was eager to get to her friend and the only thing holding her back from doing just that was the very plan he had initiated.

"Do you really think we would come charging back in aimlessly without some sort of a plan?" The boy asked blandly. When he got no response beyond a distasteful sneer, he simply let out a tired sigh.

"Man, you guys really must think very little of us to completely dismiss the possibility that we might pose at least some kind of threat. We may only be academy students, but we are still shinobi in training regardless and therefore shouldn't be dismissed so carelessly. The fact that you were taken off guard so easily speaks clearly of your own lack of skill. You may be stronger than us, but physical strength isn't enough on its own. You have to think like a shinobi as well and you have made the grave mistake of miscalculating our involvement."

The Nara then motioned with a brief nod of his head, initiating the second phase of his rescue attempt in an instant. As soon as he gave the sign, a number of kunai immediately flew out of hiding from the nearby bushes, dragging the faint glimmering evidence of steel wiring behind them, which also contained explosive tags attached at regular intervals along their lengths.

The projectiles quickly formed tracks around the recently ensnared shinobi, trapping them in a maze of steel wiring and deadly explosives. Once the trap was set to his satisfaction, Shikamaru released his jutsu confidently, allowing the men their 'mock freedom', while Kiba and Ino both burst out of the their hiding places. The young Nara then quickly turned to face the eager Hyuuga standing next to him.

"Hinata, you and Kiba go and see to Naruto. Try to see if you can get him out of here and to safety. Ino and I will make sure our _'guests'_ don't try anything funny."

The young girl immediately complied, running around the deathtrap that had been set for their foes, while heading towards her motionless friend. Kiba was right on her heels, with a morbid looking Akamaru riding at an odd silence on top of his head.

"So, you're just going to let us move freely?" One of the shinobi enquired. "That's a bit reckless, especially considering that big speech you just gave." Shikamaru just glared back at the man with a heavy expression, but one that did little to betray his emotions.

"You can try to escape if you like, but I wouldn't advise attempting it if I were you. Those explosive tags are sensitive to chakra. If you get too close, you can say goodbye to the rest of your lives. Thanks to the time Naruto gave us, I was able to plan an effective trap for you and the fact that you were all grouped together attacking him it made it that much easier to catch you all at once. Everything has been thought out to the furthest possible extent. Even activating a weak jutsu will be enough set them off, so it's useless to attempt any tricks."

The Nara then turned his attention away from his opponents and over to where Naruto was lying on the floor. Even from where he stood, the boy could easily make out the red stains of blood sharply contrasting the white fabric of Naruto's shirt. Hinata and Kiba had just made their way around the otherwise deadly maze that separated them from the boy and his dragon.

As soon as the young Hyuuga came closer to her goal, her eyes began to widen in horror at the sight that met her gaze. She almost felt her heart drop completely at the sheer amount of blood that she saw covering such a small body, but what really scared her was what her Byuakugan showed her.

"N... Naruto..."

Both youngsters promptly landed in front of a severely panicked Ryuukimi, who was now covering the boy with his wings defensively. The tears were still streaming down the dragon's face, only they didn't seem to burn the boy underneath him when they touched him.

"R... Ryuukimi..." Hinata gulped, trying to gain the dragon's attention. "We need to get Naruto out of here so that we can treat his wounds..."

**"NO!!!!"** The young creature cut her off, shooting up to meet her gaze with furious eyes.

"No-one is touching him!!!!!! Not as long as I'm still alive!!!!!! I wont let anyone hurt him anymore!!!!!!"

The young Hyuuga heiress took a brief step backwards and even Kiba seemed to flinch at the desperate power in the dragon's voice, but the girl strengthened her resolve once more and continued to stand her ground. She couldn't afford to hesitate now, otherwise the consequences may be severe. Hinata knelt down carefully in front of the small, panicked creature guarding her friend, trying to approach him as gently as possible lest she incur the dragon's furious wrath.

"Please Ryuukimi, we're only trying to help him. We aren't going to hurt Naruto, I promise, but if we don't treat his wounds now, he might die."

Ryuukimi's tears welled up even more as he heard those words, despite his attempts to appear intimidating in an effort to defend his companion from harm. Hinata could see that he was terrified, she didn't need her Byuakugan to know that, but he was scared for Naruto, not for himself. Even Kiba cringed at the sight of his face and the sullen words that followed his swallowed sobs.

"But... look what they've done to him!!!" He cried sorrowfully. "Look what they did to my friend!!!!" Ryuukimi's voice was laced with an endless amount of bitterness, but also held the distinct sound of grief as well.

"He didn't do anything to them, but that didn't matter, it never mattered!!!! They hurt him, they always hurt him and even though he tries to protect himself, even though he tries to fight back, Naruto can only be so strong by himself!!!" The dragon suppressed another shudder thereafter, before speaking again in a near whisper.

"I... I couldn't even protect him... I wasn't strong enough. I can't even feel him anymore... I don't feel anything when I touch him and I'm scared I'm going to lose him..."

"But... you don't have to protect him by yourself anymore." Hinata replied. "I'm scared as well, but it isn't wrong to be afraid. We can help, but you have to let us help. I promise that you will be with him the whole time and I won't try to take you away from him. Do you think you can at least give us a chance?"

Ryuukimi just took a deep gulp, swallowing his tears in an effort to be strong for his companion, before silently nodding his head. He then removed his protective shelter from the boy underneath him and moved aside for the two youngsters to have access.

Hinata immediately got to work, carefully turning Naruto onto his back to get a better look at his injuries while Kiba knelt down beside her. What they saw was both frightening and sickening, but both of them held their stomachs despite themselves. Hinata quickly scanned over the lifeless body that was cupped in her arms with her Byuakugan, trying to get a diagnostics on his condition while surveying the extent of the damage to his wounds.

"Damn it!" She cursed in a rather uncharacteristic manner. "He's been heavily injured just below the left shoulder. The wound seems to exit on the other side of his back and he's lost a lot of blood. His pulse is also very weak at the moment and his breathing has become erratic as well. I think he might go into shock." The girl then took a deep breath, before turning to face Kiba, who had since turned a deathly pale in light of her words.

"Alright, I need something to dress the wound before he loses too much blood." The Hyuuga announced sharply, snapping the boy out of his stupor. He was somewhat surprised by the power she could command with the strength of her voice, which was something she had never shown before now. Kiba quickly nodded his head and then pulled his jacket off his back before handing it to the girl without a second's thought.

"Here, use this. He needs it more than I do at this point in time."

The girl just nodded her head gratefully before tearing a piece of material off the sleeve of the clothing and tying it around Naruto's shoulder, constricting the blood flow and applying pressure to the wound. She was currently using her Byuakugan to guide her actions, mostly because there was too much blood to work around effectively and she didn't want to risk further injury.

After that, she used another shred of material to dress the wound on Naruto's right hand, effectively stopping the bleeding while protecting the injury from any outside dirt and debris that may have caused an infection. Once that was done, the girl turned to Kiba once more with a grim expression. She was trying her best to fight her tears back, to remain strong, but the Inuzuka could easily see just how upset she was.

"Alright, that's the best we can do for him right now..." She muttered dishearteningly. "... but I'll have to look at it properly once we get him out of here. Do you... do you think you can... carry him... for me?"

Kiba just nodded his head solemnly, before moving over to the smaller boy lying on the floor. He carefully wrapped his arms underneath the motionless body, not caring about the blood that was now rubbing itself into his clothes, before lifting Naruto off the earth.

The boy was surprisingly light for the young Inuzuka to carry and Kiba couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the amount of blood he had lost or just his small stature. What disturbed him even more, though, was how limp Naruto's body was and how lifeless he felt in the older boy's arms.

_'This isn't right, he feels so cold to the touch. It almost feels like he's dead already.'_ Kiba then lifted his head to face Hinata, suppressing his concerned expression and stealing his resolve.

"I'm ready to go as soon as you are." He announced firmly, only with a slight tremble in his voice.

Hinata responded with a "hai" and then turned to face Shikamaru, signaling with a hand-sign that they were ready to leave. The young Nara confirmed their status with a sharp nod before relaying his final instructions.

"Alright, you two head over to the predetermined rendezvous point as quickly as possible. Ino and I will be with you in a short moment. I just need to make sure that our guests have no hope of escaping their little predicament."

Both youngsters confirmed the instructions given to them by Shikamaru before preparing themselves to leave. They were just about to set off when Hinata suddenly felt something pawing at her pants before looking down to see Ryuukimi staring anxiously at back at her, his tears no longer present in his eyes.

"Hinata..." The dragon gulped fearfully. "... will Naruto... is he going to be alright?" The girl quickly knelt down and locked in the creature's gaze, trying to appear as reassuring as possible, but the words that left her mouth did little to hide her insecurities.

"I... I don't know... I just don't know anymore, but we'll do our best for him. Come, let's get out of here and head somewhere safe..."

With that, Ryuukimi climbed up onto the girl's shoulders, sparing a brief, disheartening glance at his bloodied friend, before the three disappeared into the trees once more with Naruto under their care. Once they were out of sight Shikamaru turned his attention back to his opponents, who were now glowering with anger as their prey escaped the scene.

"You meddlesome brats are going to get what's coming to you!!!!" One of them announced angrily. "When we get out of here, we'll make sure you pay for this!!!" Ino just glared at the men coldly with her light turquoise eyes while Shikamaru suppressed another disgruntled sigh.

"I doubt that..." He mumbled stiffly, his boring tone making a sudden return.

"You won't be getting out of there for a long time to come, so I hope for your sakes that you can survive for extended periods without food or water, not that I'd be too disappointed if you never survived at all. Besides, you are in no position to be making threats so just be glad that I find it too troublesome to set off the explosive tags myself. I just don't feel like listening to my mom whine and complain about something like that yet, especially with how she can be."

With that, the two youngsters turned to make their way out of the clearing, but before they could get far, another voice called out to them one more time.

"Do you kids have any idea who that boy is? Do you have any idea _WHAT_ he is?!?!?!"

Shikamaru just shared a curious glance with Ino, who still continued to remain silent the whole time despite how she felt. It wasn't that she was particularly attached to Naruto or even really his friend, but something twisted inside the blond girls stomach when she heard those words, especially in light of what she had learned about him over the last few days. Both kids turned back to face the one who had called out to them, only this time it was the Yamanaka that finally spoke up for the first time.

"It... it is true that we don't really know much about him, in fact we hardly know anything about Naruto at all." She admitted hesitantly.

"But, that doesn't mean we are just going to just run away and leave him to fend for himself. I don't know why you people are trying to hurt him or what he did wrong to deserve what's happened, but the fact that he put his life on the line to save us from you is enough for me to trust him on its own. At the same time, it is clear that you don't know much about him either, so listening to you degrade him is a pointless waste of our time. Add that to the fact that you've tried to kill us yourselves and we actually have very little to talk about that is worth our effort to listen to, so we'll be leaving now."

With that, the two youngsters disappeared into the trees, leaving a very shocked and disgruntled group of shinobi behind in their wake. Shikamaru just gazed curiously at Ino's back, somewhat surprised by what he had heard from her just a few moments before. He couldn't help the tiny smirk that crept up onto his lips as they made their way through the trees.

_'Since when did you become so... decent... Ino? And since when did you start using that brain for something other than Sasuke...?'_

--

The faint sounds of rustling leaves and creaking branches whispered throughout the the dark shadowy confines of the forest as a group of shinobi sped hastily through the trees, carefully searching the Fire Country for their missing children or the attackers that were hunting them.

It was now their second day of searching and all of their hearts were steadily growing weary from the dwindling signs hope as their own fears dragged on their consciousness'. They still hadn't found a single sign of life other than the small creatures that littered the forest floors and they were all quickly losing faith.

Iruka continued to scan over the dense undergrowth beneath him with his weary, tired eyes, hoping to find any sign of his own son. He could feel his heart twisting painfully inside his chest, almost as if to warn him that something was wrong, and he knew that it was definitely about Naruto.

Ever since the two had grown closer to one another, they had developed a strange bond with one another that seemed to stem past the physical contact that linked their emotions through Naruto's bloodline. It was almost as though the scarred chunin could feel when his son was in pain or when he was upset without even touching him and it terrified him to know that the boy might be getting hurt at that very moment.

"Hey, Iruka, are you alright? You look a bit pale?" The chunin quickly turned to look at his side, noticing Inoichi moving up next to him with a concerned expression. The blond Yamanaka quickly set his pace to match Iruka's who had since let out a shuddering sigh.

"I... I don''t know..." The man eventually replied. "It just... feels like something terrible has happened. I don't know how I know it, but I think Naruto has been hurt.... badly. It feels like he's in pain." Inoichi just briefly closed his eyes knowingly, before turning his gaze forward once more.

"I know how you feel Iruka." He answered carefully. " The bond a parent shares with their child is a strong one. My family has studied the human mind for generations and even still we have only unlocked a small, scant knowledge of the secrets it holds. I've often heard of people feeling uneasy or distressed just before learning of a loved one's death, or being able to sense danger before it even approaches. It is a strange bond that I cannot explain even to this day. The mind is truly a wondrous thing."

Iruka cringed slightly at the words shared between them. He didn't like the idea that his feelings may be of a news far more grim than he would ever be able to handle. To lose Naruto, to lose such a precious person that had grown so important to him, to lose his... son, that was something he would never survive. But even still, something stung at the back of his heart, something that overrid the deteriorating thoughts of his mind.

Hope...

"I... I don't think that's it at all..." Inoichi turned his gaze back to the man traveling beside him as he spoke in a near whisper, doing little to hide the curiosity that now glimmered in his eyes.

"There is more to it than the human mind..." Iruka continued softly. "It is something far more powerful than thoughts or ideas, something even deeper than words or actions. I think the bond that links two people together is a special one that connects our very souls to those who are precious to us. The bond I'm talking about is... love..."

The scarred chunin then turned his gaze to meet Inoichi's, allowing a brief smile to play on his lips, although it was rather sad to look at. The blond man could see the pain in his company's eyes and the fear that gripped him, but even still there was something else that caught his gaze. There was determination as well. After a few brief moments, the scarred chunin continued once more, this time addressing Inoichi directly.

"I... love... my son more than anything else in the world. He means everything to me and I won't rest until we've found them, even if it means I have to search for him for the rest of my life. I will not allow him to hurt alone anymore." Inoichi just nodded his head, before giving the man a reassuring smile.

"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps not everything can be explained by human thoughts or ideas. Men are too blinded by their own stupidity and ignorance to see the world clearly and I think that they will never see it for what it truly is, not even us fathers." Iruka turned his gaze forward once more, silently thinking on the words shared between them.

_'Not everyone is blind, Inochi.'_ He theought quietly to himself. _'There is one boy who can see more clearly than the rest of us. One who's eyes can see past the illusions of our own fallible thoughts and past the hatred and ignorance that blinds the rest of the world...'_

After traveling for a few more minutes in silence thereafter, trailing along the river's edge in the hopes of finding a clue to the whereabouts of their children, Iruka suddenly felt his heart pulling tightly in his chest again, only this time it felt different from before.

The man quickly dropped to the forrest floor, coming to a complete halt while alerting his companions to his abrupt change in actions. Soon afterwards, the rest of the group came to a grinding halt nearby and landed down near the scarred chunin, all curious as to why he had stopped so suddenly while remaining alert in case of an impending attack they hadn't noticed.

"Is there something the matter Iruka-san?" Hiashi enquired, using the same monotone he always possessed when he spoke. "I have not seen anything significant in the nearby area with my Byakugan, so there is little reason to stop here." Iruka turned to the Hyuuga clan-head with a blank stare, before searching around the forest floor to try and locate the source of his tension.

"I'm not sure..." He replied uneasily. "I felt something just now. I'm not sure what it was, but it feels important. I think there's something nearby." Tsume simply growled under her breath, before making her way over to the scarred chunin with Kuromaru striding closely beside her.

"You mean you stopped our search for our missing children because you got the 'willies'. Seriously Iruka, maybe you don't care about your _'son'_ as much as you imply, but some of us actually want to find or kids in one piece!" The said chunin quickly snapped his gaze over to the source of his ire, displaying a harsh glare as he did.

"I would watch your tongue if I were you, Inuzuka-san!" He replied coldly. "In case you haven't noticed, we aren't getting anywhere in our search as it is, so the fact that I may have found some sort of clue, even if it is far fetched, I would think that you would be eager to pursue it in order to find your son."

The feral jounin simply growled under her breath, while baring her enhanced fangs threateningly. She didn't appreciate the fact that a chunin was being so blatantly sharp with her, while never once showing even the slightest hint of fear as he spoke. It was infuriating for the jounin's pride to swallow. Fortunately for everyone, before things could escalate too far, Shikaku interceded the _'conversation'_ with a heavy cough.

"Alright, that's enough." He announced wearily. "We have enough problems on our hands as it is without adding 'tearing each other to shreds' to the equation. If we allow our personal problems to get in the way of our mission, then it will be our own children who suffer the consequences. This is the risk we took by involving ourselves in the search for our own children rather than letting a neutral, unbiased group of shinobi handle it, so lets not let our own emotions be our downfall."

Both parties involved quickly stole away their personal discrepancies and, in Tsume's case, their pride, before facing the Nara with deep scowls embedded on their features. Shikakau just let out a deep sigh and then rubbed his temples in an effort to stem the growing headache that now pressed against the back of his mind.

He could understand why they were upset and it was only natural for them to vent their frustrations, even if it wasn't the right way to handle it, but this was not helping at all. This was more trouble than the jounin had ever wanted to handle, but his natural leadership skills put him in a compromising situation.

_'Damn it, this is far too troublesome for me. I just hope Yoshino hasn't caught wind of what is happening, otherwise I'm really gonna get it when we arrive back home...'_

The scarred jounin quickly pushed away the thoughts of his wife's possible maelstrom of excruciating torture and destruction to the back of his mind, instead foccussing on the matter at hand. Although his sudden bout of paleness didn't go unnoticed by those watching and both Inoichi and Choza shared a brief, knowing glance.

"Alright, now if that is all, I think it's time we refocussed on what is important. Iruka, if there is something that might help us, please don't hesitate to let us know."

Iruka nodded his head and then continued his search for the source of his unease, while everyone followed closely as the chunin wandered almost aimlessly across the forest floor, allowing his own feet to guide him to his unknown destination. It was a few minutes before he finally happened upon the opening that led to the stream that ran along the rim of the forest.

Iruka's gaze was almost immediately drawn to a single tree standing near the river's edge, it's green leaves gently swaying in the soft breeze that whispered across the air. Something made his heart churn when he saw it and he knew then and there that he had found what he was looking for.

"That tree.. somehow it looks different to the rest..." He announced softly.

Of course, this only got him some very concerned looks from the rest of the group and even Shibi seemed somewhat uneasy by the signs of insanity he was witnessing, if only telling by the soft buzzing sound that emanated from beneath his clothes.

"It's just a bit greener, that's all." Tsume mocked distastefully. "What does that have to do with anything, unless you're inexplicably drawn to the subtle calls of superior vegetation?" The scarred chunin simply brushed aside the jabbing taunt, much to the jounin's ire, instead reiterating his observations.

"That's not what I meant Tsume. It's something else..." Iruka then made his way over to the lone tree and ran his hands carefuly over its surface, allowing it to tickle his skin as it brushed across his palm. The results were almost immediate and the chunin's eyes widened at the sudden sensation coursing through his skin.

"It's... Naruto..." He gasped, immediately snapping everyone's attention to his words. "He... he was here. He left a clue for us to follow him..." The chunin's eyes almost immediately welled up with tears and they would have been falling already if it weren't for his own self control. His son was alive, that much was certain...

Itachi walked up to the base of the tree and then ran his own fingers over its surface, only to feel nothing particularly out of the ordinary. He then activated his Sharingan to take a closer look, but still found no trace to support Iruka's claims.

"I cannot make out any special properties that would imply such a hidden message." The Uchiha announced calmly. Iruka just nodded his head.

"I doubt you would, especially seeing as how it is something only I would notice. That's exactly why he did it this way, so that only someone close to him would pic it up. Anything else and he would be placing himself and whoever is with him in danger, especially if it is too obvious so that the enemy would notice it as well." Itachi conceded in the explanation.

"That is true, but how would he be capable of leaving such a clue behind. Such an action would surely require a unique jutsu of some kind, or another special attribute to succeed. Also, despite that, we still don't know where to proceed even if what you say is correct."

"I know that..." Iruka answered blandly, purposely avoiding the enquiry as to how Naruto would have created such a message.

"The clue was just a beacon to alert us to this particular area. From here onwards, we will need to rely on our own skills to track them. I doubt they would have left us any obvious signs for risk of being discovered by our enemies, but that doesn't mean we can't find some trace of them. Now that we know where they've been, we have a lead to follow."

The chunin then turned to Tsume, who was still staring curiously in his direction. "Tsume, do you think you might be able to pick up a scent?" The jounin nodded her head uneasily, still very skeptical about the entire situation, but she wasn't about to let her pride stop her from following even a slight promise of hope if it meant finding her son.

"If I can't find anything, then no-one can." She announced, somewhat proudly. The Inuzuka then turned her attention over to her companion. "Alright Kuromaru, it's time to hunt for clues. Lets spread out and cover the area thoroughly!"

With that, the two of them immediately got to work, scouring the entire embankment for any trace to follow. After a few minutes of desperate searching, hope finally appeared.

"I have something!" Kuromaru announced gruffly, causing the group to immediately descend on his location. Tsume quickly ran up to her ninken companion before kneeling down to sniff at the area he was scanning over. After a few whiffs, her eyes widened in a mixture of shock and relief.

"It's Kiba! This is definitely Kiba's scent!" All of the present shinobi almost lit up immediately and even Itachi's stoic face seemed to crinkle somewhat at the announcement. It was the best news they had recieved all day. Finally they had a lead.

"It's very faint..." She continued.. "... in fact it is hardly noticeable at all, but it should be enough for us to follow if we keep our noses peeled."

Shikaku nodded his head happily, before turning to address the rest of the group. "Alright then, I want everyone to keep a sharp eye out for any other clues. Our pace will slow down considerably now in order to accurately follow their trail, but at least we have something to go by."

The man then turned to Iruka, who was now also smiling in light of the hope they had just been given. The two men shared a brief moment of silence, with only their eyes communicating their thoughts, before Shikaku finally spoke up once more.

"Well then what are we waiting for!?!? Lets head out immediately!!!!"

--

"Nggghhhh!!! Where.... where am I?"

The faint sounds of tired cries began to emanate off the lips of a young boy as his eyes slowly began to peel open, his entire body wrought with an excruciating pain. Two blue eyes flashed in the shallow rays of sunlight that entered down onto the forrest floor, only no light entered into their gaze.

"W... what's going on? Why can't I see?" Naruto began to shuffle in panic as the memories of his ordeal came rushing back to him. He remembered being chased by enemy shinobi, he remembered battling them by hismelf and then finding Ryuukimi. Then he remembered the sword that had been lodged in his shoulder, before darkness consumed his thoughts.

Naruto's breathing started to quicken as panic began to envelope him. Had he been captured? Was he ... dead?? What happened to Ryuukimi, was he gone as well? The boy tried to call out for help, for anyone to hear him, but his voice failed him in his desperation, instead falling into a shallow screech that hardly passed for a whisper.

"Naruto-kun... it's alright. I'm here..." The boy suddenly felt his heart jump up into his chest as the familiar voice reached his ears, tickling his soul in a soothing tone the settled his tensed nerves.

"Hinata???" The boy blinked desperately in an attempt to find his vision again, but even still there was little more than the blank haze of darkness that covered his eyes.

"Hinata, I can't see you..." He cried in panic. "I can't see anything. It's all dark..." Tears began to role down the boy's cheeks as he tried once again to find his vision, only to fail in vain, but before his panic became overwhelming the same soft voice called out to him once more.

"Don't worry, your eyes weren't damaged in the attack. You just lost a lot of blood, so your vision will be blotchy for a short while. Here, open your mouth."

The boy did what he was told, before feeling a small round object fall onto the tip of his tongue. It didn't taste particularly nice at all, which meant it was probably a medicine of some kind, but Naruto still managed to swallow it regardless.

After pushing that down his esophagus, Naruto felt the cold edge of a canteen press against his lips, urging him to open them. Taking that as a que to drink, the boy allowed the soft trickle of water to massage against the walls of his dry throat, relieving his thirst as well as helping his previously ingested medicine into the pit of his stomach.

Some of the liquid spilled over his mouth, before running down his cheeks and onto his neck, mixing with his previous tears and creating a cooling sensation that felt relieving to his otherwise aching muscles. Once he was satisfied, Naruto felt the object moving away from him once more.

"That was one of Kiba's soldier pills that his clan uses." Naruto heard the voice again. "It should restore some of your energy and it will also help replace some of the blood you lost. I know they taste horrible, but at least the water helps wash it down a little."

Naruto just nodded his head numbly, but quickly regretted his choice of response when he felt his head throbbing in protest of the movement. After a few minutes of eerie silence thereafter, the soft traces of light finally began to pierce into Naruto's gaze, burning away the darkness that enveloped him until they eventually began forming shapes and then colours.

It wasn't long before Naruto could finally start making out his surroundings as well as the nervous smile of his friend, much to his overwhelming relief. It was already late afternoon from what he could tell, although it was still difficult to know for certain. Once he was sure he could see relatively clearly, the boy then tried to push himself carefully up from the floor, but a small weight on top of his body quickly stopped his attempts.

It was then that he noticed the shimmering glimmer of bronze resting on top of his chest as well as the wings that covered the rest of his body. The small dragon was obviously asleep judging by his breathing patterns and his body felt comfortingly warm to the touch. It was like having your own personal heated safety blanket.

"He's been there the whole day..." Naruto quickly turned to the source of the other voice that called out to him, only to see Shikamaru slouching lazily on a nearby log, looking over his charge with careful eyes. Hinata also looked up as well, almost as if she was startled by the sudden interruption, but quickly recovered soon afterwards.

"He hasn't left your side since we brought you here..." The Nara continued. "He won't even let us touch you at all and he gets pretty aggressive if we get too close. You have a really good friend there." Naruto looked back down to his small companion, before allowing a brief smile to touch against his lips.

"Yeah, he is a good friend. He's always been by my side ever since I first met him and he keeps me company when I'm lonely." Naruto's face then soured into a frown, something that the girl sitting next to him noticed with a heavy cringe.

"I... I don't understand. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is fighting those guys who were after us and then blacking out. I thought that that would be the end of me, so how did I manage to end up with you guys again? Shikamaru just let out a deep sigh, something that Naruto had long since attributed to his status as a Nara, before locking his fingers togather and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Well, I can't say that what you did was particularly smart..." The boy started with a role of his eyes. "... and it was most definitely reckless, but it gave us the time we needed to plan an effective escape. After we managed to catch up to you, we succeeded in trapping our enemies and extracting you from danger. So... here you are..."

Naruto just averted his gaze back over to the dark haired boy, trying his best to make sense of what was being explained to him. It was really hard with the pain he felt stinging at the back of his head, but he still managed to piece it all together. Still, their was one thing that didn't make sense to the boy.

"But... why? Why did you come back for me?" He asked bluntly, somewhat surprising his two listeners. "Those guys, they were after me. I'm the one they wanted. That's why I tried to lead them away from you so you wouldn't be involved. By saving me, you've put yourselves back in danger again. You should have left me behind..."

"No!" Hinata cut him off, surprising the blond with her harsh tone. "How can you say something like that? Do you think I'd really leave my friend behind just so that he could go and get himself killed?" Naruto didn't answer, mostly because he was too afraid of his voice betraying him. Instead he just started blankly at the Hyuuga heiress whose tears had once again started forming in the back of her eyes.

"And do you really think it would have made a difference anyway?" This question shocked the boy somewhat.

"But... I was just trying to make sure you didn't get hurt." He protested. "I didn't _want_ to die, but leading them away was the only way to keep you guys safe."

"Hinata's right Naruto..." This time, it was Shikamaru to speak again, once more gaining the attention of the young blond that lay on the forrest floor.

"Even if you were their primary target, it doesn't make a difference anymore. We are just as liable for death as you are, especially when you consider the fact that we are all witnesses to their attack and are therefore a threat to their identities. They will kill us just to keep that information safe and they would do so even if they managed to find you first. They wouldn't have stopped hunting us until they found us." The dark haired boy then stood to his feet, before turning his back on the other two youngsters.

"And besides..." He continued. "As troublesome as it may be, you are still... one of us... despite everything. I won't abandon a comrade, even if I don't know them very well. You saved us when you went out to meet the enemy on your own and for that I am grateful, but now you have to let us help you as well, starting... with those injuries of yours."

Naruto just eyed the Nara curiously, somewhat startled by his words. It was the first time that someone who was practically a stranger had gone out of their way to save him and it made him feel something twisting uneasily inside his stomach, but what troubled him the most was Shikamaru's last words.

"What... about my injuries?" He asked nervously, as though he was completely oblivious to the damage he had sustained. Shikamaru just rolled his eyes.

"Well, first of all, we need to clean them so you don't contract any infections." The boy answered, turning back to face the blond with his arms folded over his chest.

"We also need to dress them properly to make sure they don't reopen or continue bleeding. In case you haven't noticed, you have a massive hole going straight through your shoulder right to the other side of your back and if we don't try to restrain it properly, you will continue to lose a lot of blood and may even cause extended, irreparable damage. What Hinata has done so far is only temporary and will not be suitable if you are going to be moving around soon. If we manage to get back to the village, they can give you proper medical attention."

Naruto just took a deep gulp of dread, nervously shifting his gaze between Hinata and Shikamaru. Cleaning his wounds meant touching him, and that meant discovering his bloodline. The last thing he needed was for his secret to get out to the whole village. That would only make things worse for the already condemned boy.

"I... I'll be fine..." He stammered uneasily, lying straight through his teeth. This only gained him very disapproving stares from both of his present company. "I heal really quickly and..."

"No you won't." Shikamaru cut him off again. "Your wounds are very deep and your life may still be in danger if we don't do something about them. It's a miracle that we even manage to get to you on time before you lost too much blood. Luckily, no major arteries were damaged either." The Nara then lifted his hands to his forhead, rubbing his temples in a fashion all to similar to his father's.

"Look, Naruto, I know you don't like to be touched, but this is something that simply can't be helped. I don't know what is going on here, or why these people are after you, but you are going to have to trust us now, otherwise you'll end up being hurt even more. You just have to let others help you sometimes."

Naruto just remained silent for a short moment. It was something he had heard before from his father, but even still the panic was clearly visible in his eyes. He knew that what the Nara was saying was true, but he still couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole situation. Even Hinata could tell that he was terrified by the prospect of coming into physical contact, only she also knew they had no other choice.

"Naruto... Please, just trust me." She eventually pleaded. "I won't do anything to hurt you, you know that right?" Naruto looked over to the dark haired girl, noticing the pleading look in her eyes that begged him to give her a chance. He knew that she was a kind person and that she would never do anything to intentionally hurt him, so he decided to give in with a reluctant nod. Shikamaru just let out a deep sigh, although it could not be determined whether it was one of relief or annoyance, and then began to make his way out of the area.

"I'll leave it to you then Hinata." He called back to them. "In the meantime, I'll wait for Ino and Kiba to return with our food. They went looking for food just a few minutes ago so they'll probably still be out for a while. I'm sure they're also eager to see you up and about again... Naruto." After that, Shikamaru disappeared back into the trees, leaving the two youngsters alone with one another.

Once he was out of view, Hinata turned back to face the blond boy lying on the foor in front of her, only to notice that his eyes had now found themselves lost to the forest around them. His body was also trembling somewhat and it disheartened her to know that he had been affected so badly by those that had hurt him, that he was terrified of something as simple as human contact.

The love of a person's touch was something that every child had a right to experience without fear or rejection, but clearly Naruto's experiences were not so kind. The terrible emotional scars she could see hidden deep within his eyes would have ruined most children and she silently wondered if Naruto would ever fully recover from his fears.

"Ano... Naruto-kun... if you don't mind, I think it would be better if Ryuukimi wasn't on top of you." The boy immediately snapped out of his trance and turned his gaze over to the Hyuuga heiress. He then looked down to his companion before using his right arm to gently stroke the nape of the dragon's neck.

"Hey, buddy, it's time to get up now." He whispered gently. As soon as he said those words, Ryuukimi's eyes slowly began to pry themselves open, as if on some hidden que. It was only a brief moment before the young dragon realized his friend was awake again and he almost exploded on the spot with relief.

**"Naruto-chan!!!!!"** Ryuukimi quickly dug into his companion's chest, quivering violently as his nerves began to get the better of him. Naruto could do little to comfort the poor creature, mostly because of the limited use of his arms, so instead he simply allowed the dragon to have its way with him.

"I'm so glad you're alright! I thought you were going to die!" The creature sobbed.

Naruto just smiled as the tear strewn eyes of his friend looked back up to him, before gently running his free hand carefully over his wings, stroking them gently. It hurt him a bit because of the wound on his palm, but he didn't let it bother him. It was actually the first time he had seen the dragon cry at all, which was a clear testament to the emotions he obviously felt at the time.

"I'm here buddy... I'm alright. I had you to protect me after all, didn't I?" Ryuukimi just nodded his head and the dug his face back into the side of Naruto's neck, hiding away his tears from everyone's eyes.

"I won't let them hurt you again..." He whispered softly. "Next time... I'll do better to protect you, I promise." Hinata simply smiled at the affectionate interaction between the two youngsters, before coughing into her hand, signaling that it was time to get started. Naruto nodded his head in silent understanding, before lifting the dragon's head to meat his gaze.

"Listen buddy, I need you to do me a big favor..." Ryuukimi just motioned his head briskly and the Hyuuga watching could have sworn it would fall off if he moved it any faster.

"Anything! Just tell me what you want and I'll do it!" Naruto just giggled slightly at his friends eagerness to help, but quickly stopped because of the pain in his chest.

"Alright, well I need you to go and help Shikamaru guard the camp. He's just down over there..." Naruto then lifted his hand weakly and pointed in the direction that the Nara had taken, while Ryuukimi watched carefully.

"Hinata just needs to help me with something quickly, so I need you to help out over there instead. Do you think you can do that for me?" The dragon looked back to his companion and then nodded his head once more, before darting off into the trees. Once he was out of sight, Naruto let out a deep sigh, before plopping his head back onto the ground.

"You could have just told him the truth, you know?" Hinata sighed. Naruto just looked at her quizzically as if she had just grown a second head.

"And you really think he's going to let anyone come near me right now?" He asked almost sarcastically. The girl thought on the question for a moment, before shaking her head.

"No... I guess not. Anyway, I need you to try and sit up for me so we can get you out of that mess of a shirt, otherwise I won't be able to treat your wounds properly." Naruto obeyed the request and slowly pushed himself upright, which was a rather painful endeavor. Once he was off the floor, Hinata helped him remove the bloodied clothing with as little discomfort as possible, until he was left in nothing but his pants.

The girl almost visibly gaped when she saw the condition he was in and couldn't help the gasp of air that left her mouth. Naruto had multiple bruises throughout his entire torso and he even had a few cuts and burn marks as well, no doubt from a fire jutsu of some kind, but the worst part was the bloodied mess that covered his left shoulder. She had already known how bad the damage was when she saw it through her Byuakugan, but seeing it with her own normal vision made it seem that much more real and the impact that much more severe.

After that Naruto carefully lay back down on the ground again, trying his best not to aggravate the wounds, while Hinata pulled out her healing salves and another canteen of water, along with some torn make-shift bandages she had made with the fabric from Kiba's jacket. After a few tense moments of uneasy silence and a shared glance between the two, she moved over to Naruto's side and then bit the bottom of her lip.

"Alright, this might sting a little bit." She warned him, at which he simply looked back up at her with a grim expression. "Are you... ready?" Naruto just nodded his head solemnly, before closing his eyes in preparation for what would follow.

Hinata began to carefully pour water from the canteen and onto Naruto's shoulder, trying to wash away the blood so that she could get a better look at the wound. As soon as the cool liquid touched agaisnt the raw, exposed skin, the young boy writhed under the sudden pain that shot throughout his body while biting his lip in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Nggghhh!!!! Agghhh!!! That... really hurts!!!" Hinata quickly pulled the bottle away and then looked over the now visible wound, but she was relieved to see that it wasn't bleeding too heavily. She then pulled out a cloth of fabric and moved to wipe away the blood and water. Naruto just cringed as she applied pressure to the area around his shoulder, but it wasn't the pain that made him nervous.

As soon as the girl's hand came into contact with Naruto's exposed skin, Hinata's eyes immediately widened. She quickly pulled her arm away again in panic, but Naruto grabbed it before it could retreat completely.

"Please... wait..." The young Hyuuga looked down to the panicked blues eyes that now met her gaze, now filled with all the fear that ate away at Naruto's soul, the fear of losing a friend. She could feel different emotions coursing through her body and she knew they weren't her own, which meant only one thing.

"Naruto... is this... you?" The boy just nodded his head quietly, strengthening his grip on the girl's hand as though he would lose her if he dared to let go.

Please, Hinata..." He begged again. "Don't tell anyone. If anyone else finds out about it, they might come after me..." Naruto then released his grip on Hinata's hand, allowing her the freedom to move away if she wanted to. The girl just continued to stare at the young blond lying in front of her, not knowing what to say. After a few brief moments of silence, the Hyuuga finally found her voice.

"What... is it? Why does it feel strange when I touch you?" Naruto just took a deep breath and then explained as best as he could.

"It's... an effect of my bloodline. When I come into contact with anyone through touch, I share my lifeforce with them as well as all my emotions. I didn't want anyone to know about it, because if they found out they might try to hurt me because of it." The boy then looked back up at her with heavy eyes.

"Hinata, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was just scared that you would leave me if you found out. So many people have used my feelings to hurt me before, so I was so afraid that you would just abandon me as soon as you knew about it, or worse..."

Hinata just frowned as she heard the pain and fear in Naruto's voice. It was disheartening to know that he was so easily scared of losing someone close to him just because of who he was. It was unfair for someone to be afraid of something that they had no control over and even more unfair for such cold hearted people to take advantage of that fear and weakness. The young girl quickly grabbed hold of Narutos hand again, squeezing it tightly in a comforting hold, before smilling gently at the whiskered face that met her gaze.

"I would never leave you for something like that silly..." She smiled. "I'm your friend Naruto and nothing is going to change that, not even some secret bloodline. I don't care what anyone else thinks about you, because you were the first person to care about what I thought and that is more important to me than anything else. Now, lets get you fixed up so I can see that smile of yours again."

Naruto just stared at her in stunned silence as the small traces of tears began to stream down the side of his whiskered cheeks. Everything he felt coming from the girl's touch told him she wasn't lying. There wasn't even a single trace of doubt coming through their contact with one another. The boy just nodded dumbly through his tears before smiling back at the girl once more, as if to honor a silent wish on her part.

"Thanks...Hinata. It means a lot to me."

The girl just smiled once more while hiding a blush that formed on her cheeks and then continued to go about her work, wiping away the blood and dirt around the afflicted area before applying some of her healing salve to the wound. Once that was done, she dressed it carefully with soft material, before tying down the padded cloth with a strip of fabric as she wrapped it around Naruto's shoulder.

Once Hinata was pleased with the integrety of the makeshift bandage, and once she was sure that Naruto couldn't move around his left arm too much lest he damage it even more, she then moved on to his right hand, repeating the same process as she had before. Although the wound wasn't as dangerous as the one on his shoulder, it was still severe and he would probably not be able to use his hand for a few days at the least.

Hinata then got to work on his cuts and burns, applying the salve to wherever it was deemed necessary while Naruto lay in there in complete silence, only making a slight noise of discomfort when he winced at the exposure against his injuries. Naruto would often tense up as the cool balm touched against his skin, causing Hinata to giggle at the odd reaction, but what was even more interesting for her was how his emotions seemed to flair every time she did that.

Naruto, on the other hand, was simply left to admire the sheer amount of delicacy and care in the girl's touch. Hinata did as little as possible to cause him pain and her movements were expertly administered with a loving gentleness, causing the boy to wonder where she aqcuired such extensive knowledge on treating a person's wounds so well.

It was about an hour before they finally finished with their work. Naruto now looked like something akin to a half bandaged mummy and Hinata just laughed as she took a step back to admire her handiwork. Naruto just rolled his eyes at her obvious ammusement and then pouted in dismay.

"Yeah yeah, I know I probably look funny, but it's not like I wanted any of this." Hinata just shook her head.

"No, it's not that..." She whispered softly. She then knelt down beside the boy and took his hand into her own, cupping it in her own hand before placing her other one on top of it.

"It's just... I'm really happy. I'm happy that you're alright. I thought.... I was so scared that...."

Tears then began to stream down the girls face, tears that had been waiting for the right moment to fall. Hinata's silent sobs soon evolved into full blown cries and soon she was cupping her face in her hands. Naruto just watched in panic as the young girl continued to cry her eyes out, not knowing what to do to comfort his friend.

"I... I thought I was going to lose you..." She sobbed through her tears. "When I saw you lying there, I thought you were going to die. I didn't want you to die..." Naruto just did the first thing that came to mind and grabbed her hand gently, before pulling it away from her face and holding it tighly in his own in a desperate attempt to calm her nerves.

"It's alright Hinata. I'm fine now, thanks to you. You did a great job, so there's nothing to be afraid of anymore..."

With those words, Hinata collapsed onto Naruto's chest, allowing her tears to fall on the bandages that covered his body while trickling over his exposed skin. The boy just lay there quietly, while wrapping his free arm around the Hyuuga heiress and holding her in a gentle embrace. He didn't mind the weight on top of him, or the slight pain it caused. All that he cared about right now was his friend, one who had looked past the implications of his bloodline and allowed a place for him in her heart.

The late afternoon sun was now beginning to die away into darkness, allowing the cool night air to wrap around them, leaving the two youngsters lying in one another's arms. They were content to just bask in the feelings that they shared between one another, feelings that let them know they were both still alive.

"I'm sorry for making you worry. I promise I'll try to be more careful next time."

--

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter! It was a bit difficult to make it substantial, especially after the excitement in the previous one, but I hope it was satisfactory.

If you are wondering why Kiba didn't feel anything when touching Naruto, it is because he (Naruto) was too weak at the time. Even Ryuukimi mentions the fact that he couldn't feel anything either so I just wanted to mention that before anyone decided to ask me. It is actually because Naruto's life-force was too weak to be noticeable at the time.

I was going to put it in the dialogue between him and Hinata, but their was no suitable place for it, so I decided to hold it off until the next chapter... maybe. I just didn't want to spoon-feed my readers too much. (Much like the anime often does...). It should be easy to notice on its own...

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	33. Chapter 33 A Chance Encounter

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Hey everyone! It's another chapter in my epic length saga. I think there will be about two or three more after this before this arch is done and then it's on to another possible time skip (If things go according to plan)... ;)

Hope you enjoy the next chapter!!! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 33 - A Chance Encounter**

The last vestiges of sunlight slowly disappeared over the horizon of the Fire Country, leaving the sky bathed in a soft haze of orange and pink hues, before finally settling into a blanket of dark blue, signifying the end of a very long day. The cool whispers of nighttime air gently caressed the bodies of two youngsters as they lay on the forest floor, both having long since fallen asleep, with only the comfort of their own bodies to keep one another warm.

Hinata was still lying with her head on top of Naruto's chest, in the same position she had assumed as she cried away her fears of loss a few moments before, only now there were only the silent whispers of her gentle breath remaining. The steady rhythm of her breathing patterns closely matched those of the boy beneath her, maintaining itself with the soft rising and falling of the his chest, while Naruto himself enjoyed the well-earned reward of a gentle slumber.

It was the picture of a perfectly calm serenity and the peace that showed on both of their faces stood in sharp contrast to the chaos that had ensued that very morning. If it weren't for the injuries dotted around Naruto's body, no-one would have never imagined the nightmare that had occurred only a few hours before.

The silence that had settled on the area was soon disturbed as the gentle shuffling of feet rustled through the soil and brush that covered the forest floor, revealing the arrival of another soul as it carefully entered the fray. Two, dark brown eyes slowly settled themselves on the peaceful couple that lay in one another's arms before the faint, distinctive sounds of a light breath whispered throughout the air, betraying the evidence of brief sigh.

If either of the youngsters were even half awake, they would have easily noticed the soft smile that appeared on Shikamaru's face as he took in the scene set before his gaze and the warm expression that made its way onto his features.

"How troublesome. To fall asleep while the rest of us work our butts off. Such a typical thing to do..."

The young Nara carefully approached the two sleeping forms that were sprawled across the floor, before kneeling down beside them. He couldn't help the lighthearted chuckle that left his lips as he though on the rather embarrassing situation the two had now fallen into, or the reactions he would receive when he woke them up from their peaceful bliss. Shikamaru just held out his hand and then shook the Hyuuga heiress gently on the shoulders, while suppressing the humorous giggle that was trying to escape his breath.

"Mmmm, who's there? If father wants to see me, tell him I'll be up in two minutes..." The girl's eyes slowly began to pry themselves open soon after giving her very unusual response, only to see Shikamaru kneeling on his haunches with what could only be described as a very contorted expression, which made him look as though he was suffering from severe constipation.

The fact was that the boy was desperately trying not to burst out into laughter on the spot and it was all he could do to appear as serious as possible without splitting his face in half. Only the truth of the matter was quickly revealed as he opened his mouth to speak, especially with the giggle that hid itself deep his inside his voice.

"You know, if Naruto needed something to keep himself warm, you just had to ask. I'm pretty sure Kiba had a spare jacket with him in any case."

The Hyuuga simply stared at him curiously, wondering what he meant by his words, until a stark realization suddenly hit her like a preverbal slap in the face. It must have been a pretty hard slap too, considering the horror that slowly began to manifest in the girl's eyes.

It was then that Hinata suddenly remembered falling asleep on top of Naruto and the warm body she felt touching against her cheek quickly reminded her of her predicament. Shikamaru was content to just watch as the girl's face suddenly took on a rather unnatural shade of red, before the heiress suddenly jumped to her feet with a startled "eep!" escaping her mouth.

Shikamaru finally allowed the imprisoned laugh that he had been holding back to escape his mouth, gaining him a sharp glare from the Hyuuga heiress as her humiliation sank even deeper. It was almost startling to see just how fast the girl could move when the situation called for it. Hinata's shock quickly turned to anger ass he realized what was going on and soon she was fuming with frustration.

"That isn't funny Shikamaru!" The girl exclaimed, folding her arms in protest. The said boy just held his stomach with his arms before moving to wipe a tear from his eye.

"But... you should have seen the look on your face." He giggled. "I've never seen such a troublesome expression in my life, not even when my mother caught my father looking at another woman... and believe me when I say that it didn't end well for him." The boy then calmed down a bit, giving Hinata some time to collect herself before speaking once more.

"Anyway, it looks like Naruto trusts you more than any of us if he is letting you touch him like that. I must say that I'm pretty surprised that he was even able to sleep at all, with you on top of him." Hinata just suppressed a frown, before looking over to the blond still lying on the floor.

"I... I think he was just trying to comfort me, that's all. I was upset and he tried to make me feel better, even though he was still uncomfortable touching me. Naruto still shakes a lot whenever I come near him though, so I think he has to get used to the idea of the contact between us, even if it is necessary for me to look after his injuries. Maybe he'll get better after a while, once he gets used to it a bit more." Shikamaru just nodded his head, confirming the girl's suspicions as that of his own.

"Well, it's time to wake him up in any case. He can't stay here all night, unless he wants to freeze to death. It's already getting cold as it is and he isn't wearing anything other than those bandages you made for him." Hinata took that as her que to act and quickly moved to Naruto's side, before carefully placing her hand on his right arm and squeezing it gently.

"Naruto-kun, it's time to wake up now."

The said boy began to stir immediately at the sound of her voice and very soon afterwards, two blue eyes came blurring into view. The bright cerulean irises carefully took in the scene around them before eventually settling onto Hinata's smiling face, causing a soft smile to appear onto their owner's own expression.

"Hey Hinata-chan..."

The girl almost visibly jumped when she heard the new title added to the end of her name, but she quickly composed herself despite the shock that gripped her heart. However, her rapidly changing emotions didn't go unnoticed by Naruto, who could still feel them through their contact with one-another.

"Did... I do something wrong?" He gulped. Hinata quickly realized her mistake and then smiled in reassurance, before shaking her head from side to side.

"No, nothing's wrong. In fact, everything is getting a lot better now." Naruto just let out a deep sigh of relief and then turned his gaze towards the sky, peering through the dense thicket of trees to see the scant traces of starlight shining through the leaves. It was a beautiful sight to see, with the soft rays of moonlight piercing through the forest and creating a magical atmosphere.

"That's... good to hear..."

The boy then turned his gaze over to Shikamaru, who was still suppressing his smirk in light of the situation he was witnessing. The young Nara quickly swallowed his expression and then replaced it with his normal, boring stare, before speaking in a tired monotone.

"Well Naruto, it looks like you're doing a bit better now. We've set up campfire not to far from here and the others have come back with our food already. It's rabbit... again, so don't get too excited. You two should get their as soon as possible otherwise you'll freeze out here."

The young blond just nodded his head in understanding, before watching as Shikamaru turned to head back into the trees. Once he was gone from view, Naruto turned back to Hinata again, who was still looking over him to check his condition.

"So... how am I doing?" He murmured quietly. The girl just met his gaze and then smiled softly.

"Well, you're a lot better than you were a few hours ago. Actually, I'm surprised your wounds are healing so well, especially considering how deep they are. But even still, it will be a few days before they close completely and even then it will be a while before you fully recover. The muscles in your shoulder were also damaged quite badly, so you won't be able to move your left arm properly until they've healed."

Naruto just let out another deep sigh of frustration. The last thing he needed was to be temporarily disabled for a few days, especially when they were still being hunted. If anything happened to them now, there was little he could do to help and he would only end up getting in the way.

"Well, I guess we should head in then." He muttered disdainfully. "Do you... I mean, I don't think I can walk by myself yet..." Hinata just placed her finger on Naruto's lip, quickly silencing him, before smiling softly.

"Don't worry, I'll help you up..."

The boy just took a deep gulp and then nodded his head, his gratitude shining brightly in his eyes. Hinata then crouched down and lifted his good arm over her shoulder, before carefully helping him to his feet, ensuring that she didn't hurt him or cause him any discomfort. Once She was sure that he was steady, the two began to make their way over to the fireplace.

Hinata could still feel Naruto trembling slightly in her arms and she didn't know whether it was from the cool night air brushing against his exposed skin, or the fact that he was being touched by another person that caused the reaction. What she did know, however, was that the emotions she could feel coming from the boy in her arms were unusually foreign and Hinata couldn't help but wonder what meaning they held in his heart.

_'This... is going to take some getting used to...'_

--

"Hey! Look who's decided to finally join us! The blond midget is back again!"

Naruto and Hinata were promptly greeted by the unhindered cheers of a rowdy Kiba as they came into view of the campsite. Even Akamaru yapped in approval as the boy waved them in and Ino also managed a smile at their arrival, although she remained unusually quiet.

"Looks like you've finally come back from the dead, eh Naruto?" He continued, before throwing a quick grin at the girl holding him up. "And it looks like someone is already showing their appreciation."

The blond boy just blushed slightly at the comment, but was easily outmatched by Hinata's own crimson glow. Luckily for them both, the failing light served to hide their embarrassment and keep them from any further taunting. However, it did little to protect them from learning of one another's feelings through their touch.

After recovering from their _'greeting'_, and after witnessing Ino make a punching bag out of the brash Inuzuka, Naruto looked up with forlorn eyes and cleared his throat to speak, while suppressing a nervous shudder.

"Guys..."

Everyone in front of the fire immediately stopped what they were doing and diverted their full attention to the blond boy as he spoke in a near whisper, almost as though the very rotation of the earth depended on his words. Naruto took a deep gulp of dread as he felt all of their eyes settling on him, but he quickly pushed away his fears and allowed his gaze to wander to the floor.

"I... I just wanted to say... thanks... for everything..." The boy then proceeded to shuffle his feet uncomfortably, suddenly finding his toes very interesting.

Everyone listening just continued to stare in stunned silence as the words left the boy's mouth, almost as though they were shocked by his gratitude. Naruto just continued to stare at the ground beneath his sandals, while holding back the emotions that stung at his eyes. Even Hinata seemed to react to his feelings, because soon she was shifting uncomfortably next to him.

"We... should be the ones thanking you..." Ino finally interceded, causing the boy's eyes to shoot up to meet her gaze. "I mean, you're the one who put yourself in danger to protect the rest of us. That was really brave of you to do that."

"Yeah! She's right." Kiba joined in as well. "I mean if it weren't for you, we might all be dead as well, so there's no need for any gratitude."

Naruto just stared blankly for a few moments, completely lost in his sudden bout of shock. All of them could easily see the sheer amount of emotion in his eyes as well as the tremble on his lips. It was a brief moment before the boy continued, keeping the same soft tone that he had started with, although the tremble was still clearly evident in his voice.

"B... but... you d-d... don't understand." He continued, stuttering slightly. "You g... guys, you came back for me..." Everyone just shared a curious glance with one another, none of them understanding what the boy meant by those words.

"Most other people would have just left me behind to fend for myself. None of them would have cared if I got hurt or even if I died, in fact they would have probably been happy to see me gone. Some of them, might have even helped to hurt me..."

Naruto choked on his breath at that point, causing the others to cringe at the sadness in his voice, but they continued to remain silent despite it. Hinata simply rubbed his back with her left hand, trying to ease his tension and relax his nerves. It was a brief moment before he spoke again.

"... but you guys... you came back for me. You saved me, even though it meant putting yourselves in danger. So... thank you."

Naruto then bowed his head slightly, while his eyes began to sting with the evidence of tears. He would have motioned to wipe them away, but unfortunately he could not move his left arm because of his restraints and his right arm was using Hinata as support. So, instead, he simply allowed them to trickle down his face, showing them in front of his classmates for the first time.

Everyone watching simply kept their silence, none of them knowing what to say or do in such a situation. Even Hinata seemed to be at a loss for words as the crystalline liquid ran down the boy's cheeks and onto his feet below. There were no sobs or cries, or even the faint sounds of sharp breaths. There were only tears, falling silently to the ground, tears that signified the deep gratitude Naruto held for all of their efforts to save him from harm.

"You're... so troublesome..." Shikamaru finally murmured with a heavy breath. "... but you're still a good person Naruto. What else could we do?" The boy just smiled in response to the Nara's words despite his tears, an expression quickly matched by those around him.

After a few silent minutes passed thereafter, without a single sound to break through the icy nighttime air, Naruto's tense emotions finally faded away and he instead began to tremble slightly once more, only this time for a different reason altogether. Hinata quickly caught on to his untimely reaction and promptly moved him to a position around the fire, before carefully seating him on the ground and trying to make him comfortable.

"You must be cold..." She whispered gently, rubbing his back in a soothing manner. When she got a shaking nod in return, Kiba quickly jumped up to his feet and pulled off his spare jacket in an instant before handing it over to the Hyuuga.

"Here, Naruto can use this. I still have another one lying around here somewhere and he needs it more than I do." Both youngsters just nodded gratefully before Hinata took the jacket into her hands. When he turned around to sit back down again, the Inuzuka couldn't help but notice the curious stares coming from his other present company. Even Shikamaru did little to hold back the obvious glimmer in his eyes and the subtle smirk on his lips.

"What!?!?! I'm just trying to be nice, that's all! And besides, his clothes were damaged, so he has nothing else to wear." At that Ino just snorted a laugh.

"Please, when have you ever been nice to..." The girl quickly held her tongue back as Kiba sent her a harsh glare, realizing her poor choice of words. After that, the boy simply trotted back to his original position around the fire and then promptly landed on his rear with a heavy thud, making no effort to soften his fall despite the pain it caused his backside.

_'It's not like I can't change as well...'_ He though bitterly to himself. _'I never actually wanted Naruto to get hurt...'_

Luckily for the young blond, the jacket was a zip-up, which made it a lot easier for Naruto to put on without hurting himself, with Hinata's help of course. Once the boy had the item of clothing around his otherwise bare shoulders, save for his bandages, the Hyuuga helped him zip it up to his collar. Naruto snuggled up into the soft fabric before looking over to Kiba with a grateful expression.

"Thanks... it feels really soft and warm...." Kiba simply nodded in response to the boy's show of gratitude before settling Akamaru onto his lap and stroking him gently.

"I know it isn't much... but I'm glad you like it. I've got a lot more where that came from, so if you ever need one, just give me a shout and I can have one made for you."

The boy just nodded his head gratefully, hiding the smile that played on his lips underneath the hem of the jacket. It was strange having the Inuzuka treat him so nicely, especially after how poorly they got along at the academy, but the young blonde somehow suspected that what he was seeing now was more genuine than anything the boy had ever shown him before.

Naruto then pulled the hood over his head, covering his ears in an effort to protect them from the cold, while enjoying the comforting fabric brushing up against his cheeks in a tickling manner. It was a lot softer and warmer than he had originally imagined and it did little to aggravate his injuries. After a brief moment thereafter, he suddenly realized that there was someone, or something, missing from his side.

"Um, guys, where's Ryuukimi?" Shikamaru just pointed to a small bundle on the floor, lying against a nearby tree behind him. The bronze wings that protruded from the creatures back glistened softly in the warm light of the fire and moved with the steady rhythm of his breathing.

"Much like the two of you, he fell asleep a while ago, leaving us to do all the work. Lazy bum..." Ino just glared harshly at the Nara while Kiba swallowed a laugh, before quickly hiding his amusement lest he incur the same wrath that the Nara was about to be subjected to.

"You're one to talk mister!" The girl snapped back. "I didn't see you lifting a single finger to help around here! All you did was give us directions while sitting on that big, fat..."

Naruto quickly blocked out the ensuing one-sided argument that followed, one-sided mostly because Shikamaru never bothered to put up any resistance, before turning his attention to his sleeping friend. The boy reached out with his good arm and carefully pulled the creature onto his lap, having just enough reach to grab him, before gently stroking him with his fingertips.

The dragon seemed to react to his touch because soon he was shuffling under the relaxing massage and the gentle flow of life force shared between them. Eventually, two light hazel eyes opened themselves groggily to look up at the source of their comfort only two see two blue ones looking back at them.

"Hey Naru-chan. Are ya feelin' better now?" He mumbled tiredly. Naruto just smiled down at the creature in his arms before rubbing the top of his head, eliciting a tired yawn from the young dragon.

"Yeah. It still hurts a lot, but I think I'll be fine after a good few days." Ryuukimi seemed to be satisfied with the answer, because soon his eyes were closing once more and Naruto silently wondered if he was even really awake to begin with.

"M'kay. I'm glad ta hear it..." And with that, the dragon was out like a light again.

Soon afterwards, the group settled into their evening dinner, which tasted surprisingly better than any of their previous attempts at cooking the small meal over a fire, although it stood to reason with what they had all been through that day. Even Naruto managed to devour his with little protest from his stomach and he felt immediately better afterwards.

He was finally starting to regain some of his lost energy and although he wouldn't be able to fight effectively for a few days, he would at least have the strength to move. He also managed to feed Ryuukimi some morsels as well, although it was rather difficult working around the dragon's odd sleeping patterns.

After dinner was finished the group finally found themselves making their way into sleep's embrace, having all been completely exhausted after a long and rather eventful day. Naruto was excluded from the night watch due to his injuries so that he could better recuperate, which meant Hinata was the first to take sentry point.

The young Hyuuga took a brief moment to carefully look over at Naruto's sleeping form as he lay quietly on the forest floor. Ryuukimi was, once again, instinctively covering him protectively with his wings, offering a shelter from the cold and a defense against danger. She couldn't help the smile that crept up onto her face as she took in the scene that met her lavender eyes.

_'Naruto, it's good that you have someone to watch over you so closely. I'm glad to see there is someone who is always willing to protect you at all times... even when I can't.'_

--

The first scant rays of sunlight slowly began to touch against the leaves that scattered across the roof of the forest, covering it in a canopy of cool shade with only the small trickles of warmth piercing through them. The subtle sounds of forest life were abruptly silenced as a group of shadowy figures moved through the trees with a grueling pace, searching carefully for their missing prey.

Kyoui let out a tired breath as his eyes scanned the forest floor for any signs of life while his companions flanked his sides, constantly ready to act on any command he might give them. He was now becoming weary of his search and his patience was running thin, but even still failure was not an option now. The consequences for that would be severe, he knew that much already.

Suddenly, the man's eyes caught sight of an unusual scene, causing him to abruptly land on the forest floor while bringing the rest of his company to a halt. The jounin then walked up to the source of his newfound ire while his eyes scanned over the area, easily noticing the signs of battle all around him. Once he arrived at his destination, Kyoui let out a disgruntled sigh, doing nothing to hide his obvious frustration as he looked over the maze of wires and explosive tags that ensnared his men.

"So, this is the result of your ignorance. To be trapped like rats in a cage with nothing but your shame to keep you company. How... disappointing..." The trapped shinobi quickly came to attention, knowing full well just how angry the jounin was in light of their failure.

"K... Kyoui-san, we managed to find our target and attempted to eliminate him. We thought we could take care of it ourselves, but we were caught off guard..."

**"That's enough!!!"** Kyoui cut him off suddenly. The jounin began pacing in front of the maze of death, while shooting brief, hateful glances at the source of his discontent. He did little to hide his anger and the low growl that caught at the back of his throat clearly warned of his coming wrath.

"_'Do not engage them by yourselves'_, I said. _'Report back to me if you find them'_, I said. _'Don't underestimate them... '_ I SAID!!!! I find it very discomforting that such simple orders could be so blatantly ignored. Did I not make myself clear enough for you fools to understand?!?!?!" The jounin then paused in his tracks and turned to face the trapped shinobi once more, while sneering distastefully.

"This is the now second time I've been ignored and this is the result of that negligence!!! This... HUMILIATION!!!! Half of these explosive tags aren't even real!!! You've been played for fools and made me look like one as well while our prey escapes us once more!!!!!!" The shinobi quickly bowed their heads in light of the man's overwhelming anger.

"Our deepest apologies, Kyoui-san. I assure you, it will not happen again." Kyoui promptly turned his back on them and narrowed his eyes dangerously, something that the mercenary shinobi that accompanied him knew to associate with his extremely short temper.

"You're right... it won't..." The jounin then snapped around again and picked up a small stone of the ground, bouncing it up and down in his hand while his eyes burned with hatred.

"None of you will cause me any more trouble... or humiliation..." Kyoui then threw the small projectile towards one of the real tags with enough force to set it off, condemning the shinobi to their fates.

**"No... WAIT!!!"**

The mens' cries were abruptly silenced in a sudden screech of fire and death, completely blotted out by the blast and the ensuing inferno that engulfed them. No-one would hear the screams of terror that ensued or the horror etched into their expressions. Only death would hold any evidence of their pain and suffering. Once the smoke finally cleared from the ruins, only the scorched crater and the smell of burnt flesh remained, leaving no trace of life behind in their wake.

Kyoui, satisfied with his cold sense of justice, then turned his attention the rest of his men, who had since gone pale in light of the destruction they had just witnessed.

"This... is what happens to those who fail me. I will no longer tolerate insubordination in my ranks and anyone who disobeys my orders will meet with a similar fate, if not worse. Now, I expect I won't have a repeat of this in future?" The men all bowed their heads respectfully while giving a unanimous "hai Kyoui-san!" The jounin then rubbed his forehead soothingly, trying to relieve his growing frustrations.

"Alright, this time we travel as a group and when we find those brats we'll make sure they don't leave this forest alive. Now lets move out!" Once that was said, one of the shinobi quickly approached the jounin and knelt down in front of him, showing a liberal amount of respect in order to avoid any further displays of wrath.

"Ano Kyoui-san, but there are still more of our men in the area. They seem to be either incapacitated or unconscious. What do you wish to do with them sir?" Kyoui narrowed his eyes once more, showing an evil glint in his gaze that was enough to unnerve anyone looking into them.

"I think I've already made myself clear as to the fates of those who disobey me. Make sure they never wake up again and then burn what's left of their bodies. I don't want to leave any evidence behind that could be used to trace back to us. Once that's done, we'll move out again." The shinobi bowed his head once more and then set about his task, leaving the jounin to his thoughts.

Kyoui quickly steeled his resolve with a burning desire to succeed, knowing full well the punishment that would result for his own failure. This time, the monster would not escape his grasp. This time, there would be no more mistakes or second chances.

_'This time, he will die by my own two hands...'_

--

"Alright, it's time to get moving again! Naruto, you're going to have to wake up now."

Naruto slowly opened his eyes as a sharp order called out to him, causing him to shuffle uneasily in the early morning sunlight. As he took a brief moment to glance around the clearing, he noticed that Ryuukimi was already awake and that the young dragon was grinning maniacally at him from his position on top of the boy.

"Hey Naruto-chan!!! It's good to see you up again!!!" Naruto just smiled as his companion hopped off his stomach and onto the floor next to him, before moving up to his side.

_'Well, it looks like he's back to himself again...'_ He thought quietly to himself. The boy then placed his hand on the dragon's head while tickling it gently causing Ryuukimi's smile to widen further.

"So, how's my best buddy doing this morning?" Ryuukimi just beamed with the brightest grin he had ever managed, baring all his teeth in a flashy display of glee.

"I'm great, now that you're getting better!" He proclaimed confidently. The dragon then leaned in closer, before whispering in a low tone so that no-one else could hear him. "But, I just wanted to ask, how long do you think it will be before your wounds heal. I mean you do recover quicker than most human's, don't you?" Naruto seemed to think on the question for a moment before finally answering.

"Well, that is what dad told me..." Naruto replied just as softly. "... but I've never been injured this badly before, so I'm not sure if it will be the same this time. I think it will be a few days before I'm fully recovered."

Ryuukimi just frowned in dismay, before looking at the hand that Naruto had used to scratch the top of his head. He could still see the evidence of his injury through the bandage and it made his stomach knot uncomfortably. It was a stark reminder of just how close his friend had come to death, how close he came to losing someone important to him. Naruto noticed his sudden drop in expression and smiled reassuringly.

"Hey, don't be like that now, I'll be fine. I have you with me, remember?" Ryuukimi just shook his head from side to side.

"But... but I wasn't able to protect you. You almost died because I wasn't strong enough."

"You did fine." Naruto responded softly. "You were much stronger than I was and if you didn't arrive when you did, I would have never lasted as long as I did. You saved my life, understand?" Ryuukimi just took a deep breath before responding with a soft "hai". He then allowed his smile to return again, feeling a bit better now than he had before.

Naruto, satisfied with the positive response and the lifting spirits, then pushed himself up off the floor with his good arm and up onto his feet. Although he wasn't anywhere near recovered, he felt stronger than he did the night before, so he could now at least stand up by himself without any aid. Or so he thought...

"Alright, lets get going then. The sooner we leave, the sooner things get back to normal... and the sooner we can be back with dad." The boy was just about to take a step forward when a sudden pain caught in his shoulder, causing him to double over and fall to his knees.

**"Naruto-chan!!"**

Luckily, Hinata was close by and managed to catch the boy's arm before he hit the floor, saving both Naruto and Ryuukimi from their failing hearts. The Hyuuga quickly pulled him back up to his feet again and placed his arm around her shoulders, supporting his weight as best as she could.

"Are you alright?" The boy just took in a deep shuddering breath and then looked over to the girl supporting him.

"Yeah... thanks for the save. I thought I might be able to walk by myself, but I guess my condition is a lot worse than I realized. I still feel a bit weak and my shoulder is killing me." Ryuukimi, however, was now becoming very nervous as he witnessed the close contact between the two. He quickly moved his gaze over to Naruto while doing little to hide his discomfort.

"Um, Naruto-chan, is it alright if she touches you like that?" Naruto could immediately see that his friend was on edge, so he responded quickly to ease the tension.

"Yes Ryuukimi, it's alright. She had to help me treat my wounds last night, so she already knows about my..._'condition'_." He explained carefully. The dragon didn't seem completely convinced though, which was something his companion noticed easily.

"Look buddy, I know you're worried, but we can trust Hinata. She's a friend, just like Lee, and she would never do anything to hurt me. She did fix me up after all."

Ryuukimi seemed to accept the explanation at that. After all, if she treated Naruto's wounds and made his friend better, then that was enough for the dragon trust her at least a little bit, if based on nothing else. Besides, Naruto seemed to trust her and that had to count for something, didn't it?

"Alright, if your happy with it then so am I, but I'm still keeping an eye on you two, just in case. I... I just don't want to see you get hurt again..."

Hinata nodded her head in understanding while Naruto just let out a deep sigh of relief. After that the group gathered in the centre of the clearing, with Naruto still being supported on his feet by the lavender eyed girl. Shikamaru cleared his throat to gain their attention and then spoke in a boring monotone.

"Okay then, if everyone is ready, we'll be leaving now. Unfortunately, due to Naruto's injuries, our pace will be considerably slower than it was before, so we'll just have to be a lot more careful. Make sure you keep both eyes peeled for danger, we don't want to be caught off guard again like yesterday."

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding while Akamaru yipped his response, displaying his own unhindered enthusiasm as well. Shikamaru just let out another troubled sigh and then stretched his arms over his shoulders, preparing himself for the long trek ahead.

"Alright then, I guess that means we are we all good to go?"

**"HAI!!!!"**

"Good, then lets get moving before something troublesome happens again..."

And with that, the group set off once more, making their way through the woods in a desperate search for their home, or any hope of a possible rescue. Just as Shikamaru had predicted, their pace was a lot slower than it had been before due to Naruto's injuries, but no-one ever dared to complain.

However, that didn't stop the blond from feeling more than a little guilty about his hinderance on the others, which was something Hinata easily noticed through their contact. Unfortunately, there was little that she could say to ease his frustrations, so instead she opted to support him silently with something far stronger than words.

Ryuukimi was content to follow closely on their heels, using his dragon like stamina to easily keep pace with the group while his enhanced senses remained alert for any possible danger. Even Akamaru seemed to follow suit with the recurring trend, keeping his nose peeled and taking regular whiffs of the air around himself to try and detect any early warnings of a possible attack.

"Well, it looks like everyone is a lot more focussed than before." Shikamaru murmured under his breath. "Not that it matters when you have a troublesome psychic blond in your midst who gets the willies whenever danger is near, but at least they aren't taking any more chances..."

After traveling for a few hours thereafter, the group was finally starting to become weary on their feet. Even Naruto seemed exhausted despite his overwhelming stamina levels, although it stood to reason with his recently incurred injuries. Shikamaru was just about to call for a break, when Akamaru suddenly started yapping excitedly.

"Hey, what is it buddy?" Kiba whispered, concern becoming evident in his expression. The small ninken responded by yipping and growling softly into the boy's ears, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

"I take it that means that it's something troublesome?" Shikamaru sighed. Kiba just nodded his head solemnly, eliciting another tired groan from the lazy Nara.

"He says he smells someone's scent in the air. Apparently there's more than one scent as well, which means their are multiple unknowns in the area. I don't think they've noticed us yet though, because they haven't made any moves towards us, but I think we should still be careful."

"Agreed..." The Nara responded. "Kiba, you take point and keep that nose peeled for any further developments. We'll be relying on your senses to track their movements if possible. Hinata and Naruto will remain at the back of the group so her Byuakugan can cover us while Ino and I take positions on either side of our flank. That way we'll have the widest sensory range coverage as possible and the best formation to react quickly to danger. Just remember, they could be allies as well, so acting hastily is not a good idea."

Everyone immediately responded to the plan, taking up their assigned positions while keeping their senses peeled for trouble. Ryuukimi quickly hopped up onto Hinata's shoulders and propped himself on top of her head, using it as a support for his height while his eyes scanned the area.

Dragons actually had very enhanced vision in comparison to most creatures and could see much farther than most humans, a necessity for flight, so it helped to get an early warning should anyone attempt too approach them from a distance. Even Naruto kept his attention alert despite his condition and tried his best to keep all his senses peeled.

Once everyone was ready, the group then proceeded carefully through the forest once, moving with a cautious pace that reflected on the seriousness of the situation. Although it was still undetermined whether or not there were any enemies in the area, it was still unwise to approach the source of the scent, lest they inadvertently run themselves into even more danger.

After a few minutes of traveling, Kiba took another whiff of air and then let out a deep breath. "Alright, it looks like the scent is getting weaker. Whoever that was, they're getting further away from us now." Ino just turned to Shikamaru with a concerned expression.

"But, what if they noticed us and are just trying to make us drop our guard? We could still be in danger." The Nara let out a deep sigh and then placed his hand on his chin, as if to think things through.

"Ino's right, we can't let our guard down, even for a moment. That may be exactly what they expect us to do." Just then Hinata paused in her tracks, startling both Naruto and Ryuukimi with the sudden lack of motion.

"Wait, I see something." Everyone turned to face the Hyuuga heiress while Naruto took a deep gulp of dread. "There are a few of them approaching our direction quickly, but it's too hard to make them out clearly. It could be an attack, but I'm not sure."

Naruto almost visibly paled at those words and his flaring emotions quickly alerted the girl supporting him. The boy began to quiver slightly in panic and he was quickly becoming afraid that his companions would be placed in danger again for his sake again.

"Y... you guys.. go ahead." Naruto stammered softly.

Everyone just focussed on the boy as he looked up to them, fear clearly evident in his eyes. Naruto then detached himself from Hinata's grip, much to the girl's surprise, and took a weary step backwards, trying his best not to fall on the spot.

"If they're here for me, I might be able to buy you guys some time." He continued. Hinata just frowned heavily in response, a reaction closely matched by Ryuukimi's own expression. Of course, the boy's idea didn't sit very well with the rest of them either.

"What, are you crazy?!?!" Ino finally snapped back, almost causing Naruto to fall over from the sudden fright. "You can hardly stand on your own much less fight!!!! You wouldn't even last two seconds in a battle and then they'd still come after us anyway!!! And here I was beginning to think you were smart!!!"

Naruto just cringed at the harsh tongue lashing he recieved from the other blonde of their group. He knew she was right, but he didn't like the idea of the others getting hurt for his sake. Unfortunately, before any of them could calm down or think rationally, Kiba turned away from them and began making his way towards the nearby trees.

"Well, then I'll hold them off!" He called back to them, allowing his famous stubborn Inuzuka flare get the better of him. "I can still fight and I have Akamaru to back me up as well. Besides, I'm the fastest out of all of us right now, so I have the best chance of escaping if things go sour."

Naruto was about to protest against the last second plan, when a sudden glint of light caught his eyes, drawing his attention to a small trace of steel wiring stretching across the ground just in front of the Inuzuka.

**"Kiba! Wait!!!"** Unfortunately,The blond's warning was already too late and hardly a second afterwards, a small snapping sound clasped underneath the boy's feet before another sharp whistle screamed from the nearby trees.

"Oh shit, a trap!!! Everyone move!!!"

Kiba managed to jump away just in time to avoid the flurry of kunai that shot out at him from their hiding place, followed shortly afterwards by Ino and Shikamru as they also proceeded to dodge the deadly projectiles as well, while diving into the nearby bushes. Unfortunately, Naruto could not even move in time to avoid the blow, but an untimely rescue quickly saved him from inevitable harm.

Hinata immediately snapped into action, swerving in front of her blond friend with her Byuakugan still active, before deflecting the attack with a deftly precision and a surprising speed, until none of the projectiles remained. Unfortunately, the danger didn't end there and soon afterwards, another crackling sound could clearly be made out just to the left of their position.

All three youngsters quickly looked up just in time to see a giant log swinging down at them from the trees, its length covered in spiny quills and deadly spikes, fully intent on crushing them to their deaths. Ryuukimi quickly responded to the threat and shot a concentrated blast of fire off from Hinata's shoulders, almost causing her to topple over from the force of the attack, while searing the deadly trap and blasting it into a shower of splinters and ash.

The dragon quickly covered the girl in his wings to protect her from the deadly shower of smoldering debris that ensued, although he could do little to reach his blond haired companion, who tried his best to shelter himself from splinters with his right arm, although some managed to get in his eyes despite his best efforts.

Another whistle echoed throughout the air soon afterwards, leaving the youngsters very little pause for a break, before another four kunai shot out of the plume of smoke and debris, carrying the faint trail of steel wiring behind them. Naruto noticed the subtle attack just in time to react despite his failing vision from the debris that caught in his eyes.

**"Hinata, Ryuukimi!!! Look out!!!"**

The boy quickly pushed himself over to the stunned Hyuuga and shoved her and Ryuukimi to the ground with his free hand, despite the pain it caused him, right before the trap closed in around him. The steel wiring quickly snapped into place thereafter, pulling the boy's arms and legs up against his body in a tight snare before bringing him to the ground with a heavy thud.

**"Gaaahhh!!!!"** Everyone in the area quickly moved from their positions and made their way over to where he landed, with the danger now seemingly over, while Hinata crawled over to her friend's side. Ryuukimi wasn't far behind her and the expression on his face spoke clearly of his concern.

"Naruto!!! Are you alright?!?!" The boy just swallowed a disgruntled cry of pain and allowed himself to fall limp in an effort to ease the strain of his bonds in order to keep them from cutting into him. He was also squeezing his eyes tightly in an effort to rid himself of the splinters that managed to enter them, without his hands available to rub them away.

"Yeah... I think I'm fine." He responded groggily. "It just really hurts a lot. I think I may have hit my shoulder hard when I landed. Get me out of this thing would you?" The girl quickly moved up to his side and pulled a kunai out to cut the wire, while Ryuukimi gnawed a the bonds with his sharp teeth. Just then, Ino, shikamaru and Kiba also landed on the scene.

"Is everything alright here? Did Naruto get hit? Is he injured?" Hinata just shook her head at the Yamanaka's string of questions while continuing to work away at the wires that ensnared Naruto.

"I'm not sure. I think he just hit his shoulder when he fell and his eyes seem to have caught some of the debris. I'll have to check for damage as soon as I get him out of this. We could use some help here though. The sooner we get him out of this, the sooner we can get away from whoever is trying to kill us." The blond just nodded her head before pulling out her own Kunai, but just before they could get to work, a voice suddenly called out to them, drawing their attention.

"Well this is most certainly a surprise. I must say, you were the last people I expected to walk into our trap. It's a good thing you managed to avoid most of it without too much damage."

All of them, except for Naruto, who couldn't really move at the moment, quickly turned to the source of the voice addressing them only to find their eyes wondering onto an all too familiar form. There, standing on the branch of a nearby tree, was a certain dark haired Uchiha, flanked on either side by two other familiar silhouettes.

Ino's eyes simply widened in surprise while her jaw dropped open, allowing only a brief whisper to leave her mouth in the midsts of her otherwise stunned silence.

"S...Sasuke-kun..."

Shikamaru just shook his head from side to side while breathing a deep sigh of relief. Finally, luck seemed to shine down on the otherwise cursed group of youngsters, offering the subtle relief of hope even if it only came in the form of a chance encounter. The dark haired Nara could only say one thing in light of the situation and the untimely arrival of their unlikely allies.

"How troublesome..."

--

Well, the other students finally make an appearance!!! But will their arrival be enough to help put a stop Kyoui's plans, or does their only hope lie within those who are still looking for them??? The three way search for the missing children reaches its climax in the coming chapters!!!

P.S. We'll get more insight into the other groups in the next chapter. There was just no room in this one...

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	34. Chapter 34 Closedown

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

The final approach begins. The only question is, who will reach the students first?

Hey Everyone!!! It's another week and yet another chapter of my story. Sorry for taking so long to update, (it has been longer than a week since my last chapter!) but I've been busy lately and I haven't had much time to write. This is a long chapter though and it has more content with the other search parties, as well as the missing kids.

I've also put up my first ever poll as well, so please check out my profile page to see it!!! It's a simple one, but you can expect to see more soon, mostly ones based on my stories. It's just for fun anyways, although I may even throw up some possible scenarios for future chapters in the air to see what people think about them, but we'll see. There's another one there also, but only one can show on my profile page at a time, so you'll have to look for it. Please check it out and please vote!!!

If anyone has any ideas for future polls, or something they would personally like to see or ask out of curiosity, just let me know and I'll gladly conform to your request if possible.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter!!! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 34 - Closedown**

The scant shuffling of dirt and stones scratched and hissed through the cool morning air as weary feet carried their owners across the desolate remains of a once tranquil mountain scape. Sharp eyes carefully searched over the charred and broken earth that lay before their gaze while heavy breaths flustered at its unmerciful sight, only to hide the deep anguish of those carrying them.

"Well, I guess this is where it happened then. This is where the kids went missing, this is where Naruto disappeared from our grasp..."

Jiraiya took a deep, wavering breath as he carefully examined the signs of the battle that had taken place on the side of the mountain, before settling his eyes on the destroyed section of the path that the group of students and parents had traveled on. He couldn't help the uneasy breath that managed to slip from his lips, or the frown that played on his face, easily showing his obvious concern.

"You look a little unsettled. You're worried about Naruto, aren't you???"

The toad sannin turned to see Kakashi approaching slowly in his direction, having already completed his search of his part of the mountainside. The towering figure just let out another sigh of anguish, betraying his wordless answer, before settling his eyes back on the shattered rock and cliff face.

"How... how does a ten-year-old survive something like this? How can a mere kid possibly survive, lost in the wilderness, for so long without any real training to prepare him? How can a mere academy student defend himself when there are experienced enemy shinobi trying to eliminate him? I find myself asking these questions, but the only answers I receive in return make the pit of my stomach fall. How do we know that we aren't just looking for the cold body of an innocent child already, a child we failed to protect?"

_'A boy I failed to protect...'_

Kakashi quickly moved up to Jiraiya's side, before opting to silently share in the sannin's view, allowing his only visible eye to take in the same scene of destruction that had his companion nervously on edge. He had to admit, he was also just as concerned as his sannin counterpart appeared to be, but even still there was a hope hidden deep within his expression.

"Naruto... is strong..."

Jiraiya slowly turned to face the copy ninja once more as he spoke quietly, doing little to hide his concern or his sudden curiosity, before Kakashi continued to explain.

"While we were training him, Naruto showed a kind of skill and determination I've never seen in someone so young before. When we first started, he could hardly mold his chakra properly, or even perform the simplest academy taijutsu forms. I guess all those years of neglect at the hands of the orphanage really brought him down into the dirt and broke his will. He just never knew how to believe in himself or how to protect himself from the cruelty of those around him. He didn't even know how to be happy, or how to smile in front of the rest of the world without being afraid of someone hurting him for it. He was a completely shattered and broken child, with very little hope to keep him from falling apart altogether."

Jiraiya cringed slightly at the mention of Naruto's neglect at the hands of the orphanage and the damage it caused after so many years of isolation, which was something that Kakashi noticed easily, but even still the jounin continued regardless.

"But... after three months, Naruto had changed so much. He grew from being nothing more than a broken and defenseless child, into a strong boy who had finally found the love and support he needed to believe in himself. He even mastered the 'Tree Climbing' and 'Water Walking' exercises in comparatively little time and learned a taijutsu form that is far more advanced than anything taught in the academy. If that wasn't enough, to top it all off, he even managed to learn some genjutsu from Kurenai as well."

Kakashi then placed his hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, gaining the sannin's eyes along with his complete attention. There was a brief moment of silence before the copy ninja spoke again, only this time there was a hidden truth deep within his words, along with an unwavering belief in his expression.

"Naruto is a lot stronger than anyone realizes. Under normal circumstances, if things were different regarding his status, many shinobi may have even regarded him as a genius or a prodigy if they saw how much he had achieved in so little time, but I know that really isn't the case. The reason Naruto has grown so strong is because of something more than just natural talent or smarts. I think that his love for those close to him is what really makes him able to withstand what would break most others. He fights to protect those who are precious to him and that is why he has grown so much stronger. You would be proud to see what he's achieved."

The jounin then flashed his famous 'eye-smile', instantly lightening up the mood and causing Jiraiya's expression to soften as well, before removing his hand from the sannin's shoulder.

"Given a few years, I think he'd even give you a run for your money..." He announced cheerfully. "... provided he grows a little taller than he currently stands. I don't think there are many shinobi that would take him seriously at his current height, or lack of thereof, although I think he would surprise them with how nimble he can be. He certainly surprised me during our test battle."

Both men managed a small degree of laughter at that and even Jiraiya seemed to cheer up a little. After allowing the subtle relief of their light hearted amusement wash over them, the sannin wiped a stray tear from his eye and then let out a deep breath, allowing his nerves to calm once more.

"Hehehe. Thanks Kakashi, I needed that more than you know. I am proud of Naruto and I'm sure his parents would be as well. I owe Iruka a lot for what he's done, by taking him in and caring for him. It seems I owe you all for that matter..."

The jounin raised his hand in response, brushing off the gratitude as though it was of little concern to him. After all, no such appreciation was needed. Naruto was already a special part of all of their lives and held a place deep within all of their souls. It was a brief moment before either one of them spoke again, only this time it was Jiraiya who broke the silence.

"Do you... think he's alright?" Kakashi simply nodded at the almost incoherent question.

"I don't know why, but something tells me he's still alive." He responded, more confidently this time. "Naruto wouldn't die so easily now that he has something worth living for. I think he would surprise you with his strength and determination."

Jiraiya simply conceded in the explanation, allowing the hope of Kakashi's words to fill his heart with a strength all its own. But even still, he couldn't help the unsettled feeling in his stomach.

"It's a cruel irony how life works, isn't it? I left Konoha to protect Naruto, but the only thing I managed to achieve was to place him in even more danger by leaving him alone and isolated. By abandoning him, I took away the one thing he needed even more that my protection. I denied him the love every child deserves to be given and I even kept him from learning about his parents because I thought that information might be used against him by their enemies. Now he might die without even knowing who his mother and father were and no child deserves that kind of cruel punishment."

Kakashi placed his hand on the tip of his chin while rubbing the base of his mask, a habit betraying the fact that he was deep in thought, before turning to the toad sage standing beside him.

"Maybe... you should tell him then..." Jiraiya almost jumped at the sudden suggestion, but the masked jounin quickly spoke up to explain his reasoning before the man could object.

"The fact of the matter is, that the life of a shinobi is a dangerous one at best. We may not always be able to protect Naruto from harm and no matter how hard we try, there is always the possibility that the worst might happen despite what we do to prevent it. Whether it's by the hands of his enemies, or just a mission gone wrong, that is the risk he will be facing every day of his life and it is one he is already being subjected to. Is it really fair for us to keep the knowledge of his parents away from him just for his safety as an excuse?"

Jiraiya just stared blankly for a moment, seemingly lost in his own shocked confusion, before finally shaking his head solemnly. He knew Kakashi was right, after all there were many dangers that could kill a shinobi without a moments notice, and Naruto already had enough enemies as it was. The very situation they found themselves in right now was a clear testament to that fact. It was selfish to keep the boy from knowing the truth just to try and defend him and now it might have already been to late to repair that mistake.

"Perhaps you are right..." The toad sage finally responded, somewhat glumly. "But... I promissed his father..."

"I think Minato-sensei would understand..." Kakashi cut him off. "Besides, I don't think he could have ever known just how much danger Naruto would be in. After all, the Kyuubi isn't the only reason he is persecuted... at least, not anymore." Jiraiya almost had a heart attack at that and his head snapped around so fast that Kakashi swore he heard his neck crack from the strain. The masked jounin could only giggle slightly at the sannin's obvious shock.

"H... how did you know? Did the old man say something to you?" Kakashi just shook his head and flashed his eye-smile once more.

"He didn't have to. I knew my sensei very well and I recognized the resemblance the first time I saw Naruto, so it was very easy to put the pieces together. Besides, I don't think Minato-sensei would have sacrificed any other child to protect the village if he wasn't willing to give up his own son first." Jiraiya simply let out a deep huff, before folding his arms over his chest and closing his eyes thoughtfully.

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?" He sighed.

"So I've been told before, but I'm still right in any case." Jiraiya just shook his head from side to side and accepted his defeat.

"Alright, you win. I guess I'll tell him the truth, _BUT_ only when the time is right. It will be painful for him to deal with as it is and I don't want him to lose focus at such a crucial stage in his life, so we'll wait until the moment is fitting. I just hope this is the right thing to do..."

And with that, the conversation met its end with an unwavering silence from both of them. It was about ten minutes later when Anko and Kurenai finally arrived back from their own sweeps of the area to report their findings. Both kunoichi regrouped with their male counterparts soon afterwards only to find them staring blankly off the edge of the cliff.

"So, did you two find anything useful, or were you just sharing a moment of perverted thoughts with one another?" Anko mocked teasingly. Of course, this only got her a sly look from Jiraiya, whose lips quickly curled up into a lecherous grin.

"That depends, on whether or not you are willing to personally star in my dreams." The purple haired jounin slapped her forhead in disbelief.

"Kami help me if that wasn't the lamest pick-up line I've ever heard. As if I'd ever be interested in an old perverted man like you!!!" The sannin quickly held his hand up to his chest, as if to feign being heartbroken, before his grin widened even more.

"My, my, aren't we touchy this morning. Although I have to admit that I like 'em when they're feisty!!! I know you're just playing hard to get, but there's no need to resist my overwhelming charms, my sweet buttercups."

**"Buttercups!?!?! I'll show you buttercups like you've never seen them before!!!!"**

"Alright, enough already!!!" Kurenai interjected, just before Anko went nuclear on the spot. The red-eyed kunoichi knew it was only a matter of time before they would end up carrying a very mutilated corpse back to Konoha and she didn't feel like going through that kind of laborious exercise just yet.

Both shinobi just shared one more silent glance with one another, although Jiraiya was leering more than looking, which only got him a crude hand sign for all his efforts along with a cold glare.

Kurenai simlply held her hand up to her shaking head and let out a deep sigh, while Kakashi tried his best to stifle his own amused expression, lest he had two angry kunoichi descending on him with all the wrath such women were known to posses. That was a cruel punishment he had experienced enough times during their afternoons together while training Naruto.

"Alright, I think it's obvious that there are no real traces of the other kids, or Naruto, that we can find in the area, so that means that we'll have to follow any other trails we can uncover. Kakashi?" The masked jounin stepped forward on his que, before forming a series of hand seals.

**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!!!"** The man then slammed his palm into the ground, causing a large plume of smoke burst into view before revealing the minute stature of a small pug as soon as the haze disappeared.

"Ah, Kakashi, it's been a while since you summoned any of us. I was beginning to wonder if you had unexpectedly died on us, although it is more likely that you've been kept busy by those books of yours." Kakashi just waved in greeting at the canine companion, while shrugging off his distasteful comments.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll make it up to you later over some sake. Listen Pakkun, I need you to see if you can pick up a trail for us. We've been sent to find some missing academy students that got lost in an attack around this area. Think you could assist us in this regard?"

The small ninken conformed to the request and scanned the area as soon as he was given the word, using his powerful sense of smell to pick up any possible lead. After a few minutes, he turned back to Kakashi with a solemn expression.

"Hmmm, it seems as though there is very little left to go by, but I have picked up on some familiar scents in the area. It's old, but I could probably still follow it. They must be acquantances of yours, Kakashi..." The said jounin nodded his head.

"It must be Iruka's and the others. He's currently leading a search party to find the missing students." Kakashi then turned to Jiraiya and the others. "Well, I guess we could back them up, although it would be better if we remained as two separate groups in order to widen our search area."

"Agreed..." The sannin concurred. "The only problem is that we have little else to go by at this point in time. We'll have to follow this trail for now and see if we pick up something else on the way. We're already two days behind as it is, so we'll have to hurry to catch up. We won't stop until we've made up for lost ground. Lets move out!"

Once all was said and done, the group headed off once more, following Pakkun's lead down the mountain trail and through the forest that bordered alongside the river. Their newfound haste was only matched by their overwhelming determination and a desire to see their charge alive and well again.

--

"So, I guess this means we aren't going to die just yet..."

The familiar sounds of a tired groan left the lips of a certain dark-haired Nara as a sudden peace washed over him, gaining a troublesome huff along with it, although the relief was easy to pick up in his otherwise disgruntled expression.

"I must say, that although this wasn't the most pleasant greeting I could have hoped for, it's still better than being roasted alive. That, I think, has happened enough times on this trip as it is."

Sasuke quickly proceeded to jump off the branch that he had perched himself upon and landed cooly on the forest floor, before making his over to the other group in front of him, with Sakura and Chouji landing at his sides. The larger Akamichi quickly ran passed the dark haired Uchiha and up to where Shikamaru was now standing, doing little to hide his happiness.

"Man, am I glad to see you Shika!!! I don't think I could have handled these guys for much longer! You have no idea how moody they all are!!!" Shikamaru just smirked at the excitement he saw on his friend's face, an expression he only held for his closest acquaintances. He hadn't seen so much relief and joy on the Akamichi's expression since the last time they went for a barbeque together and that was saying a lot.

"It's good to see you've still managed to keep your weight up Chouji." He replied humorously. "I would have thought that you might have starved to death before these guys finished you off, but it looks like you've managed to survive both evils intact."

"Yeah, but at least I got _some_ revenge by eating most of our food stocks within the first few hours of being lost. To bad we didn't have any chips with us."

There conversation was quickly cut off, however, when the familiar sounds of bickering echoed throughout the air. Both boys turned to see what the commotion was about, only to notice that Sakura and Ino had wasted little time in going at one another's throats, with Sasuke being the object of their attention once again. The dark haired boy simply escaped their perimeter of verbal destruction while the opportunity presented itself and then joined the other two watching.

"Man, those two definitely have a weird way of greeting one another." He sighed as he made his approach. "So, I guess you guys were separated from the main group as well and by the looks of things, you've been having a few more problems than us." The dark haired Nara nodded his response.

"Things have been... rough, to say the least. We've sustained some injuries and one of our members is severely incapacitated. What about you, is it only you three?" Sasuke just shook his head.

"No, Shino is with us as well. He's been acting as a sentry to keep an eye out for danger and he was also the one who alerted us to your approach. We didn't have any time to identify you, though, so we set up an ambush just in case you were hostiles. Fortunately, you managed to avoid the worst of it." The dark haired Uchiha then turned his attention to the nearby bushes and raised his hand.

"Alright, you can come out now. They're definitely friendlies!" Just then, a tall boy with dark round glasses and a long grey jacket came out from hiding in the nearby trees. The Aburame made his way over to the others and then nodded his head quietly, as if to greet them, although it was hard to notice with his face hidden well behind his collar. Shikamaru just let out a deep sigh and then turned back to Chouji again.

"Well I can see what you mean by them being moody." He whispered into the boy's ear. "I can't imagine having to put up with a raving fangirl, a stuck up Uchiha and an impossibly silent Aburame as companions for more than an hour, much less for days on end. That would be far too troublesome." Just then, a cry for help interrupted the atmosphere.

"Hey guys. In case you haven't noticed, I'm still stuck here!"

Everyone paused in their devices as they heard the strained voice calling out to them, before turning to see Naruto still lying on the ground, wriggling in his bonds, with Hinata and Ryuukimi still trying to free him. Kiba was kneeling nearby as well, being too impatient to bother conversing with the new arrivals.

"Oh, it's Naruto..." Sakura announced nonchalantly. "What are you doing stuck in that?" Kiba just slapped his forehead in disbelief.

"Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that you guys did this to him, although I could be mistaken." He replied sarcastically. Sakura just placed her hands on her hips while raising her chin indignantly.

"Well, it's not my fault he can't avoid a simple trap like that! My Sasuke-kun would have been able to avoid it easily!" Of course, this comment only got Ino involved as well.

"If it was so simple, I guess that means you must have set it up, forehead girl!"

"Who are you calling a forehead girl, INO PIG!!!!"

Shikamaru just shook his head as the two girls started at it once more, proceeding to verbally assault one another while doing little to keep their banshee-like voices in check.

_'Man, how troublesome, it's like having two of my mothers here. At this rate, it would have been easier if we didn't find them at all. If I knew this would have happened, I would have probably taken measures to avoid them all together.'_ Fortunately, the ruckus didn't last too long, because one certain dark haired girl already had enough.

**"Can you guys just shut up for one moment!!!!"**

Everyone froze in their feet and turned carefully to see Hinata glaring at them with icy lavender eyes. The eerie silence that followed was so quiet that one could hear the insects shuffling in the soil and the shock on all of their faces was easily noticeable. Even Shino's eyebrows managed to suddenly appear high above his glasses.

"Thank you. Now if you don't mind, Naruto is hurt and I need to get him out of this mess to check his wounds." The girl then turned back to her charge and continued to cut away at the steel wiring that had ensnared him, while Ryuukimi huffed in annoyance.

"Stupid human's... no offense Hinata..."

"Well, maybe next time _he_ should be a little bit more careful. I mean what was he doing, admiring the flowers?" Hinata quickly shot around again as she saw Naruto grimace at the mockery directed towards him, before fixating her gaze on the dark haired boy that had spoken up in offense.

"He was injured and he was trying to protect his friends!" She snapped back, with enough venom to make even her father squirm were he listening to her. Even Ryuukimi was silently fuming at her side, as if preparing to lash out at the Uchiha for his blatant disrespect. Sasuke just shrugged off both of their glares and allowed a confident smirk to play on his face.

"Well I guess that's only natural, considering how weak he must be, especially if he needs a shy little Hyuuga girl to defend his pride."

Before anyone could even blink, Hinata suddenly blurred from her position on the ground and reappeared right in front of the Uchiha, all within the window of a second. Sasuke barely managed to react in time to block the blow directed towards his stomach, before skidding back on his feet from the force of the attack.

The Hyuuga then followed up her movement with another spin before slamming both of her palms into her opponent's guard, using the strength of her momentum to break through it and push the boy's arms out of the way. The last thing Sasuke saw was an open palm flying towards his eyes, before pausing right in front of his face, just inches from touching his forehead. After a few seconds, a cold voice addressed him once more.

"What does being a girl have to do with anything? It doesn't make me any weaker than you and it won't stop me from protecting my friend. I think it's your pride that has just been wounded."

The palm then lowered itself towards the ground, revealing the icy glare of two lavender eyes once more, only this time Hintata's doujutsu was clearly visible for the Uchiha to notice. Sasuke simply allowed his smirk to reappear on his lips once more, showing an unnatural amount of confidence in light of what had just happened.

"That was impressive, although I think in a real fight you'd be hard pressed to beat me. Still, I'll admit you're a lot stronger than I originally thought. I've always wanted to see how a Hyuuga matched up to an Uchiha." Hinata simply ignored the boy's boast, instead opting to turn on her heels before making her way back to where Naruto was lying.

"Well then, if you think I'm not too bad, then it would interest you to know that Naruto is also a lot stronger than you seem to think he is. After all, he was the one who held off ten enemy shinobi all by himself to protect the rest of us." She called back to him.

The girl then continued on her way, leaving a stunned Uchiha staring at her back while the rest of her bewildered audience gaped in shock. Even Ino and Sakura kept their tongues firmly in-between their cheeks, so to speak, despite the blatant attack that had just occured on the figure of their admiration.

The dark haired girl then knelt down next to her blond friend and a very smug looking Ryuukimi, before finishing her work on cutting the wires that trapped him with her kunai. Once Naruto was free, Hinata gently turned him on his back and placed his head on her lap, gaining a tired groan from the blond boy.

"Ngghhh! Thanks for the save, it was getting really tight in there..." The boy then tried to move his hand up to wipe his eyes, but she stopped him before he could get far.

"No, don't. You might cause damage if you rub them now. Just give them time to clean themselves out. Try blinking a few times instead and see if that helps."

Naruto just nodded his head in understanding, before lowering his hand once more. He then did as the girl suggested and proceeded to blink his eyes rapidly until the scratching sensation finally subsided and his vision returned, albeit somewhat blurry. Blue eyes then made there way back up to the girl looking over him before a smile appeared on the boy's face.

"It's a good thing I have you to check up on me. I guess I'm a bit too accident prone, aren't I?" He mumbled sheepishly.

"Yes, you most definitely are." Hinata smiled in response. "Now, I need to get this jacket off so I can check your bandages again. Lets see what damage you've caused yourself this time."

Naruto complied with the request and allowed the girl to help him out of the jacket that Kiba had given him, before lying it on the floor beside him. Hinata then lay him back down on her lap again and looked over the wound carefully, but was displeased to notice that it was bleeding heavily and the fabric that covered it was already soaked in a dark red stain.

"I guess that means it's bad?" Naruto gulped, noticing the grim look on his friend's face. Hinata just nodded her head solemnly.

"I... need to change the bandages and check it properly to be sure." The girl then went about removing the fabric used to cover Naruto's shoulder, exposing the injury which was now bleeding profusely.

Sakura just gasped at the size of the wound as well as the other cuts and bruises that covered his body, an action seemingly mimicked by everyone else present, although to varying degrees. She even noticed the tears on the left side of his black pants where he had used the fabric as a make-shift bandage for his right arm. To put it plainly, he looked like a mess.

"Oh my! What on earth happened? Naruto looks like he's been through a hurricane without so much as a raincoat. You guys must have had it pretty rough out here."

"You have no idea..." Shikamaru responded bluntly. "A hurricane would have been preferable. We ran into some unfavorable visitors who seemed hell-bent on making sure we never made it home in one piece. Naruto put his life on the line to save us and got injured in the process, but luckily we managed to incapacitate them during the distraction he provided."

The pink-haired kunoichi just continued to stare blankly as Hinata proceeded to work on Naruto's wound, cleaning it from the blood on his shoulder while being careful not to hurt him. She was surprised to see just how calm Naruto seemed to be in all of this, noting that he was hardly squirming at all despite the pain it must have caused him. Once the girl was done, Hinata looked up once more with a pleading expression.

"I... I need something to dress the wound again." She muttered disdainfully. "Unfortunately, I don't have any more fabric to use and I don't think Kiba has any more jackets for me to mutilate for this purpose."

Sakura quickly snapped out of her trance and then ran over to their position, before kneeling down nearby, just out of reach of Ryuukimi's biting range. She then pulled out a spool of bandages and handed it to the Hyuuga heiress while cringing under the gaze of the bronze-hazel eyes that carefully followed her movements.

"Here, use this. It was one of the few things I managed to salvage after our little trip down the river. I guess it'll come in handy after all." Hinata accepted the gift gratefully and then used the bandages to dress the wound once more, although this time it was a lot more efficient and coherent than the makeshift fabric she had utilized before.

Once that was done, the girl decided it was best to redress the other wounds properly as well, now that she had proper supplies, and continued to do so with little protest from her patient. After that, she checked the boy's vitals with her Byuakugan.

"So, how are you feeling now?" She asked gently, as her eyes scanned over the boy bellow her. Naruto just shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze, although whether it was her doujutsu that made him uncomfortable, or the question she had asked, it wasn't known.

"I... I don't know. I feel a little bit woozy, but that might be from blood loss more than anything else." Hinata just frowned and then placed her hand on Naruto's forehead, causing her expression to drop even more.

"You feel a bit warm. I... I think you may have a bit of a fever. The wound might be getting an infection already. We need to get you somewhere safe to rest for a while."

"There's a cave not too far from here that we can use..." Everyone looked up to Sasuke as he spoke, seemingly over his case of surprise. The confident look on the boy's face stood in stark contrast to the unease seen only moments before and it was almost as if nothing had even happened.

"We've been using it as a shelter ever since we moved away from the river. Besides, it looks like we've got some bad weather coming along, so it would be in our best interests to take cover in any case." True to the Uchiha's word, the faint sounds of thunder echoed in the distance, signifying the approach of a terrible storm.

It took little more than that to convince the rest of them of the truth in Sasuke's reasoning and with Naruto's current condition, their minds were quickly made up. The group unanimously agreed on the plan and then proceeded to make their way to shelter, with Hinata once more helping the blond haired boy to his feet.

After redressing the boy in Kiba's jacket for warmth, the newly formed group then proceeded to move across the forest floor once more with the small drizzle of rain already touching against their bodies and a deadly omen howling in the icy wind that carried to their feet.

--

The sharp crack of thunder whipped across the grey stormy sky, shattering its coherency with a growl akin to that of a monster's. The brief and sporadic flashes of light that blinked across the sky momentarily illuminated the otherwise dark forest floor, revealing a small group of shadows as they moved through the trees with an unwavering urgency.

"It looks like another storm is on its way." Iruka mumbled disdainfully to himself, as his eyes took in the deteriorating weather that met his gaze. "I just hope the kids managed to find some kind of shelter."

The chunin quickly pushed away the thoughts that stung at the back of his mind, knowing full well that none of the student had any tents with them and had little else to protect them from the harsh weather other than the clothes on their backs. Apparently, everyone else must have been thinking the same thing as well, because they were also sharing in his view with momentary, concerned glances.

Just then Tsume slowed down her pace and eventually came to a halt on one of the many branches scattered across the trees. Everyone else followed suit and spread around the area, preparing for a possible attack, while carefully listening for any hopeful news the jounin might have for them.

"Is something wrong?" Choza enquired carefully. The feral jounin simply turned to face the rest of them with a stern expression, an action mimicked closely by her ninken companion.

"I smell... blood..." That revelation immediately had everyone on edge and Iruka couldn't help the sudden lump that caught in his throat. "It's this way, follow me."

With that, everyone was on the move once more, only this time their pace had slowed down to a near crawl, and they proceeded with an unnatural caution that clearly showed all of their tension. It was almost as though they were afraid of what answers they might find in the clearing ahead, or what terrible scene might meet their eyes.

As soon as they cleared the dense thicket of trees, Iruka could hear the faint sounds of gasps whisper around him as the scene of destruction met their eyes, only his own voice was too constricted to even allow for a single breath to reach his burning lungs. All around them were the clearly distinctive signs of battle, with the charred earth and splintered trees littering the area.

"It... smells like death here..." Kuromaru voiced out gruffly, giving words to a single thought that all of them shared. "The only question is, who is the victim and who is the killer?"

The ninken then followed at Tsume's heels as her feet guided them to the source of the scent that had driven them there, before coming to a stop in front of a single tree stained with the dark maroon colour of dried blood. The jounin's eyes followed the trail that ran down the stained bark and onto the floor, where it had drained into the soil, before she knelt down and took a whiff of the air.

"The scent here, it smells familiar..."

Iruka quickly moved up to where the jounin was kneeling on her haunches, before pausing as he saw the distinct signs of blood. The chunin immediately felt his heart sink into his chest, almost as though he already knew who it belonged to. Suddenly, the memories of the uneasy discomfort he felt the previous day came flooding back to him in a rush of emotions and he couldn't help but shudder at the knowing chill that ran down his spine.

"Who.... who is it?" He asked carefully. Tsume simply stood to her feet and turned to face the scarred chunin, her expression clearly betraying her answer. Iruka could only gulp in dread as her eyebrows narrowed into a sharp frown.

"It smells like that Uzumaki kid. It smells like... Naruto..." Iruka simply collapsed to his knees as a grim conclusion etched its way into his mind and even Tsume seemed to cringe as she saw his face pale and his eyes widen in panic.

"No.... that can't be right. He can't be..." The chunin couldn't even finish his words before the tears began to stream down his face. "I... I could't get to him. I couldn't protect him. I couldn't even save my own son..."

Tsume just turned her eyes away from the man's grief, knowing full well just how she would feel if it was her own son that had suffered such a fate. The rest of the group noticed the commotion and carefully approached the scene, while Shikaku knelt down at Iruka's side.

"Iruka... I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. There isn't any body, so there might still be a chance that he's alive..."

The dark haired Nara gently placed his hand on the chunin's shoulder, before gently squeezing it in his grasp, trying to offer what little comfort he could. Iruka simply looked up to the man with tear strewn eyes, doing little to hide his pain or his weakness.

"Why is he so different?" The man asked bitterly. "Is it because of what he carries? Is it because of who he is? Or is he just a punching bag to be used to relieve everyone else's frustration and grief?" Iruka then turned his gaze to Tsume, who still could not make eye contact with the grieving man.

"Is this what you wanted? Does this make you happy now, knowing that he's had to suffer so much? Does it make you happy now that he's gone!?!?!"

The question wasn't directed towards her specifically, but Tsume still felt the sting in his voice. She could hear the anger and frustration mixed in with the grief and she couldn't help but feel her stomach knot.

"Iruka... I... I'm sorry for what's happened..."

"I don't need your apologies!" Iruka cut her off bluntly. "I'm not the one who's been punished for something I never did! I'm not the one who was beaten every single night of my life because I was protecting the rest of the village from the monster that almost destroyed it!!!"

"That's enough... Iruka..." Shikaku quickly squeezed the chunin's shoulder once more. "Please, I can understand that you're upset, but this is not the time to lose it. Remember that there are other parents here as well, who are just as afraid of losing their loved ones as you are. I know it's hard, but we still have a mission to complete and there are still other missing children that may yet be alive. We need to at least try and save them if we can."

Iruka turned to face the jounin once more, his eyes now stained red from the strain of his tears. "I guess it's easy to care about those who are still alive, rather than grieving for the ones who have suffered. There won't be many tears shed for my son back in Konoha, in fact, most people would probably celebrate his absence..."

The man then stood to his feet, an action only made possible by the support of the jounin standing besides him, before wiping his face with his sleeve. When he looked up again, he could clearly make out the dampened expressions on the faces around him, even on the likes of Shibi and Hiashi. They all knew that it was possible that their own children may have already suffered a similar fate and it was a thought none of them wanted to indulge. Itachi himself slowly approached the chunin and stood in front of him, before giving a short bow of respect.

"I am sorry for all of this Iruka-san. I know it must be hard to lose someone important to you. I would be just as upset if something happened to my little brother." Iruka just brushed it off bitterly, before making his way over to the trees.

"It's too late to be sorry now and I'm not the one who needs you sympathy. That isn't going to change how much Naruto has suffered already, nor will it take away that pain. Let's just get going before someone else has to suffer as well." Iruka was just about to make his way into the trees once more, when a gruff voice called out, halting him in his tracks.

"Wait!" Everyone turned to Kuromaru as he spoke up. "There are two other scents as well mixed here as well. One of them smells like master Kiba and another smells female. Both of them were here with the boy, but both of their trails also move away from the area." The ninken then looked up to face Iruka, whose heart was now cleanly lodged in his throat, before speaking once more.

"All three scents move away through the trees, including that blond boy's. They must have been carrying your pup as well, because he left a scent mixed with Kiba's. That can only mean that he was still alive at the time."

Iruka almost felt his chest explode with hope and Choza had to quickly move to catch him before he stumbled off his feet. Even Tsume's expression seemed to lighten up as well, showing an unnatural amount of relief at hearing the news. It also meant that her Kiba was still alive as well and that was good news in any regard.

"Do you think you can follow the scent?" She asked sharply, turning back to face Kuromaru. The ninken just nodded his head assuringly.

"It should be easy now, but you should also know that there is another group of scents in the area as well. Someone else came here a few hours before us. They must be the ones who are after your pups."

Iruka nodded his head in understanding, having now recovered from his shock, and then steeled his resolve once more, allowing himself to fill with a newfound strength and determination. There was still hope that his son may still be alive and he wasn't about to let him be taken away again if that was the case.

"Alright, we'll follow their tracks and take care of them before they reach the kids. This time, they will be the ones who pay for what they've done!!!"

_'This time, I won't let Naruto down...'_

--

"Nggghhh!!!! What... what's going on? Why am I on the floor again?"

Naruto slowly awakened to the warm, slimy surface of a small foreign object as it brushed up against his cheeks, causing his sensitive whiskers to twitch as it tickled against his skin. It felt really slimy, but at the same time, he could also feel a degree of emotion coming from it's touch, mostly positive from what he could tell.

_'Is someone... licking me? Ryuukimi's never done anything like that before...'_

The boy then began to shuffle slightly and quickly noticed that there was something soft underneath him, almost like a sleeping bag. He could also hear the sharp rattle of rain falling through the leaves nearby as well, only not a single drop of water touched against his body. Instead, only the cool sensation of an icy breeze brushed up against his skin, causing him to shiver slightly at its chilly embrace. Soon afterwards, Naruto's eyes slowly began to pry themselves open, revealing the dark, damp walls of the cave that surrounded him.

When he looked to the side, his eyes caught sight of the object of his discomfort as the white fluff-ball yipped happily to see him awake, while gazing into his blue orbs with a startling intensity. The dogs tail was flailing ballistically behind him, something that told Naruto that he was obviously pleased for some reason.

"He seems to like you quite a bit..."

Naruto's eyes then moved up from his one-dog greeting party to search for the voice that had addressed him, only to notice Kiba sitting nearby to where he lay on the floor, with his back turned away from the blond's gaze. The Inuzuka was currently tending to a small fire set up on the the floor of the cave, prodding it carefully with a long stick, and causing sparks to burn into the air.

"It's unusual for him to take so well to strangers, but Akamaru is a good judge of character, one of the few things we don't seem have in common. I guess I should try and learn a thing or two from him."

The blond boy just remained silent for a moment, allowing the Inuzuka's words to sink into his mind, as well as the meaning hidden within his voice. He then took another look around the cave and immediately noticed, much to his discomfort, that he was no longer wearing a jacket again.

_'I guess that's why I feel so cold...'_

Naruto then tried to push himself up off the floor, but a sickening motion immediately floored him before he could get far. Kiba noticed his futile attempts to right himself and turned to face him with a concerned expression.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I think you're sick, so just lay down for a while until the others get back." Naruto simply did as he was told and sank in defeat, letting out a deep huff of annoyance as his head flopped back down onto the soft fabric that supported his body.

"How did I get here?" He asked weakly. "I remember us making our way to the cave when the storm started, but I don't remember actually getting here."

"Well, that's because you blacked out on us just before we even arrived." Kiba joked. "I guess we can always count on you to go and cause even more problems than we already have. Shikamaru wouldn't stop mumbling the word 'troublesome' the whole time and Hinata practically dragged you the rest of the way herself. She's actually a lot stronger than she looks, considering she's almost as short as you are. After that, they went to collect some fresh water from the rainfall and to try and find some food as well. I didn't feel like going, especially with those two girls constantly bickering, so I offered to watch you in Hinata's place."

The Inuzuka then pointed over to the far side of where Naruto lay. "Your little dragon friend is here as well, but he fell asleep long ago. I guess he didn't want to leave you alone either."

Naruto just groaned sourly and then turned his head over to search for his smaller companion. Right on the other side of him, as if to guard him from outside harm, was a very asleep Ryuukimi, lying on top of the jacket that Kiba had given the blond.

The boy then turned his gaze over to the entrance of the cave, where the rain was now pelting down with little mercy or restraint, while the wind wailed and howled against the rock face, as if to cry out in anguish. A brief flash of lightning cause the young boy to flinch slightly, while inadvertently wincing from the sudden startle. As Naruto's eyes became lost in the rain that fell outside, he didn't even notice the concerned look on the other face whose eyes had settled him in their gaze.

"Are you alright?? You look like you're shaking a bit." The boy then looked back over to Kiba once more, whose expression had fallen even more.

"I'm... fine, I guess. Storms just make me uncomfortable, that's all. I don't really have any good memories when it comes to rainy nights and I'm also feeling a bit cold as well."

"Yeah, sorry about that..." Kiba sighed in responce. "You were running a really bad fever, so we had to get you out of that jacket before your body temperature rose too high. I know it feels cold, but believe me when I say it's for the best."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding, before allowing his eyes to relax once more. There were a few things going through his mind at the moment, not the least of which was the possibility that they were still being hunted, and it did little to ease the migraine he felt stinging at the back of his head.

_'If I carry on like this, I'm going to end up being a burden who'll only end up putting everyone else in danger.'_ The boy then opened his eyes and looked over to Ryuukimi again, noticing how calm the dragon seemed to be at his side. It was reassuring to know that the small creature would always be there for him, no matter how grim things looked, even if it brought him to his death.

_'Even he wouldn't leave me if I asked him too and I know Hinata isn't willing to abandon her friends, so I guess I'm stuck for now. I just hope someone finds us before something else happens like before.'_

"Naruto...?"

The blond boy immediately snapped out of his thoughts as the gentle voice of his company addressed him softly. He quickly turned to face Kiba once more, only to notice that the boy's eyes had wondered to the ground.

"Look, about the other day when we were fighting in the woods, I was... completely out of line. I was acting like a jerk and being nasty to you for no reason whatsoever, so... I'm sorry."

Naruto just blinked aimlessly, as if trying to absorb the flood of words like a sponge that already carried too much water. It was hard to see Kiba as someone who readily admitted when he was in the wrong, especially when it came to his unrelenting pride, but the look on the boy's face spoke clearly of his genuine remorse.

"It's... alright..." He replied, just as weakly as he looked. "Everyone makes mistakes..."

"No, it's not alright." Kiba cut him off again. "The words you said that day, when you said that all everyone ever did was try and hurt you, it made me think. I realised that I wasn't any better than those guys that you mentioned, that I was doing the exact same thing that they did. I didn't even try to talk to you or be your friend, I was just a cruel jerk who almost ended up getting you killed just to comfort my own pride."

Kiba then lowered his head even more, as if to hide his shame from the boy in front of him.

"But... but even still, despite everything I did to you, you still went out of your way to save us... to save me.... regardless of what happened before, and you even tried to warn me earlier when I was about to step into a trap. I just don't understand how you can forgive me so easily after everything I've done to you." The blond boy just smiled weakly, causing the Inuzuka that sat next to him to frown in a startled confusion.

"You helped me as well..." He mumbled softly. Kiba almost jumped at the genuine kindness in his voice, as well as the complete lack of bitterness in his expression, but Naruto did not seem bothered by his reaction.

"You came back for me when you could have run away to safety. You saved me when you could have left me to die instead. If I can't forgive you after that, then I don't deserve your kindness or your apology. I believe anyone can change if they want to, so I won't be the one to take away that chance if it means I have the hope of making a new friend."

Kiba just remained silent for a moment, before the faint traces of a smile appeared on his lips. Not only was the boy willing to forgive him, but he was also willing to give him the gift of friendship as well. It almost seemed too good to be true, but Kiba was not about to deny such an offer.

"T.. thanks.. Naruto..."

After that the cave went quiet once more, with only the soft downpour of rain and the crackling of firewood to break the otherwise completely empty silence that ensued. It was a little while before the others finally came back from their expedition, carrying with them some fresh water supplies and their food for the night.

"So, it looks like whisker boy is finally awake again." Sasuke announced dryly, doing little to hide the confident smirk that played across his lips. Of course this only got him a sharp glare from Hinata, who quickly strode past the Uchiha and up to where Naruto was lying.

She quickly settled next to her blond friend and a nearby Ryuukimi, who was now awakening from the sudden disturbance, and then pulled out a torn piece of bandage and poured some water over it, before covering the top of Naruto's head.

"Well, I guess this makes you my official doctor now, huh?" Naruto joked, before flashing a smile at the Hyuuga heiress. Hinata just rollwed her eyes at his poor attempt at humoring her.

"Please believe me when I say that this isn't something I want to be doing too often. I don't like seeing my friends like this at all, much less on a regular basis." Naruto just pursed his lips against one another, immediately realising his mistake.

"Gomen..." He mumbled sheepishly."It's just, you're much nicer than any of the hospital staff and you're more gentle and kind as well." Hinata just sighed gently, before smiling in return, softening the mood instantly.

"It's no problem, I'm glad I can do something to be there for you, just like you've always been there for me. So, how are you feeling now? A bit better???" Naruto just shook his head from side to side.

"Not really. I don't remember ever being this sick before. I feel like I'm going to die." Hinata's face just paled at that.

"B.. but not really!" Naruto quickly corrected himself. "It just... feels really bad, that's all..." The boy then let out a deep sigh and he could swear that he heard the faint mumbling of the word 'troublesome' coming from nearby. The looks he was getting from Shikamaru, amongst many others, confirmed his suspicions.

_'Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and go to sleep. I'll cause less problems that way. And since when did I start thinking so much...?'_

The rest of that night was spent trapped in the confines of the caves, with the storm growing too strong for them to even attempt moving out again. Their dinner for the evening was, surprisingly, something other than rabbit, with their diet over the last few days making a suddenly sharp turn towards the vegetarian side of the charts. Naruto was quite pleased to down the berries they managed to collect, although Hinata helped to feed him, and Ryuukimi was just as happy to join him.

Sleep came easily that night as well and Naruto gave little resistance to the embrace of his fatigue, although it could stand to reason with how sick he felt at the time. Hinata kept a sharp eye on his condition, often waking up in the middle of the night to change his cloths and make sure he was still within reasonable safety parameters.

The storm didn't calm even once during the whole time and neither did the rain that showered outside of the cave's entrance, but none of them stirred from the noise that it caused. Little did they know of the dread carried in the howling wind, or the looming threat that now made it's way over too them. They were all too exhausted to even care...

--

The next morning was met with with the cheerful calls of frolicking birds as they announced the arrival of the rising sun, as well as the end of the nightmarish storm that had settled in the previous day. The group of shinobi in training slowly woke up one by one, until eventually the entire cave was alive with movement, echoing with the shuffling of feet and the scant releases of tired yawns.

Naruto's blue eyes peeled themselves open soon thereafter, only to see lavender ones looking back down at him, before a hand touched against his head. He could also distinctly make out the other warm body that covered him in the form of a small dragon.

"Morning sleepy." Hinata smiled. "It looks like you're doing a bit better now. The fever has already gone down quite a bit and you're not a pale as you were last night."

"Yeah, I do feel better..." Naruto responded groggily, before wiping his eyes with his one hand. "So, when did this little guy manage to get on top of me?" The Hyuuga heiress simply giggled at the question.

"Oh, Ryuukimi? I guess he felt the need to keep you warm despite everything we were doing to cool you down. Seeing you like that must have kicked in some hidden motherly instincts that all dragons probably carry from birth."

"Hey!!! I heard that!!!" Both youngsters flinched in surprise as they heard the sharp voice call out in protest, before the small dragon suddenly shuffled on top of Naruto's chest, turning to meet the boy's gaze.

"Hey there buddy!" The blond greeted cheerfully. "How are we doing this morning?"

"Well, there's only one of me..." The dragon retorted, just as cheerfully. "... but I'm doing just fine. What about you, are your injuries healing up?" Naruto took a moment to inspect his shoulder, an action mimicked closely by Hinata. The girl quickly removed the bandage that covered his wound to evaluate it properly, only to sigh in relief as she saw the vast improvement in his condition.

"Well, it looks like it's finally closing up." She announced happily, but her face quickly fell into a frown soon afterwards, something that Naruto noticed with a heavy cringe.

"It's just, I don't understand. No-one should be able to heal this quickly. The wound is still quite damaged, but it has already scabbed over and began closing properly without any medical aid." Naruto just shrugged his shoulders as if he was oblivious to the miracle happening in his own body.

"Like I said, I heal really quickly..." He reiterated again. The boy then began to push himself up to his feet before Hinata could even protest or dig any further, but he was pleased to note that he could now stand completely without aid. The Hyuuga quickly stood to her feet next to him and checked him over once more.

"Are you... sure... you're alright?" Naruto just nodded his head, before flashing her the widest grin he could muster, trying his best to put her at ease.

"I think I should be able to walk on my own now. I still can't move my left arm properly and I feel a bit dizzy, but I won't need anyone to carry me anymore, if that's what you mean." After that, the blond proceeded to redress in Kiba's jacket once more, before turning back to face Ryuukimi, who was now grinning maddly with glee to see his friend able to stand on his own.

"Well then buddy, wanna ride on my shoulders again?? I think I can handle the extra weight now."

The dragon just nodded his head briskly, practically exploding with excitement, before jumping up onto the boy's right arm and climbing up onto the same sided shoulder. He was carefully not to go near the injured shoulder, instead opting to balance himself on one side for now, looking like something akin to an oversized parrot.

Once the two were comfortable with their positioning, Naruto lowered his hood to make it more comfortable for his companion while inadvertently giving the dragon access to his whiskered cheeks, something that Ryuukimi noticed with a great deal of mischievous glee. Fortunately, before he could act, Shino approached the three youngsters, interrupting their moment with a heavy cough.

"The rest want to leave soon..." He announced calmly, displaying no evident emotion in his voice. "I came to check if you were fit to travel in your current condition." Naruto just shared a quick, knowing glance with Ryuukimi, who seemed just as suspicious as he was, before turning back to the quiet Aburame.

"We'll be fine. I'm feeling better than I was before, so I should be able to move without too many problems." Shino just nodded his head thoughtfully and then turned to walk away again, but before he could get far, Naruto addressed him once more.

"Um... Shino, do you think you could get your bug off me?" The older boy snapped around so fast that Naruto and Hinata both almost jumped out of their sandals and Ryuukimi almost lost his balance as well. The Aburame's eyebrows were now clearly visible above his glasses, easily betraying his obvious surprise.

"I'm surprised you noticed it so easily. Normally kikai are undetectable, even to the most skilled shinobi, so how is it that you where able to locate it so easily?"

"I just... felt it..." Naruto responded glumly, not wanting to give too much information about his bloodline. This only got him a curious stare from the taller boy.

"I apologize if I offended you in any way. It was merely a precautionary measure in order keep track of all of the members of our group, in the likelihood that one of us got separated or fell under attack."

"I understand, it's just that... it makes me feel uncomfortable, that's all." Shino just nodded his head in understanding before holding out his arm with an extended finger, prompting his miniature companion off of Naruto's shoulder and back to the rest of his hive. After the small insect crawled back under his sleeve, the Abarume then turned away once more, only to see Sakura and Ino glaring at him distaistfully.

"I hope you didn't put one of those... those _things_... on us!!!" Sakura growled. "I don't like the idea of some little bug crawling all over me, especially if it came from someone as creepy looking as you.

"Of course not..." Shino lied, his expression never once betraying the fact. "I would never dream of committing such a gross misconduct in the presence of two fine kunoichi such as yourself."

The boy then proceeded on his way again, leaving the two girls glaring at his back. Even Naruto could hear the slight hint of humor in his voice, despite how faint it was, and also noticed the barely visible spring in his step. Luckily, before anyone could push the issue any further, Shikamaru spoke up to the rest of the group and called for their attention.

"Alright, seeing as how the troublesome weather has finally cleared up, I guess we can make a move again. Now that we have a larger group on our hands, it should be safer for all of us as well, especially considering the fact that we have more forms of detection at our disposal. So... is everyone ready to leave??"

Both Naruto and Ryuukimi gave their confirmation along with the rest of the group, noticing that the Nara was specifically eyeing them out as if to direct the question to them alone. After that was settled, they all made their way over to the entrance of the cave, taking the rest of their supplies and what ever else they could carry. They were just about to make their way out once more when Shino suddenly paused in his tracks, before speaking up in warning.

"Hold on, my kikai have alerted me to a problem..." Everyone turned to face the normally silent Aburame with concerned expressions, only to see a certain degree of alarm on the normally blank, stoic face. That could only mean one thing...

"It seems as though something is approaching in our direction... something unfavorable..."

--

Kyoui closes in on the kids while the parents finally begin to draw near to their location! The only question is, will they make it in time, or will the students be left to fend for themselves? The final confrontation begins in the next chapter!!!

Sorry for the cliffy. It seems to be a new bad habit that I've picked up lately. Hope you enjoyed!!! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	35. Chapter 35 A Desperate Struggle

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

Another battle ensues as the students encounter their most testing hurdle yet!

Hey guys, sorry for the late-ish update again. There were a few things that had to be ironed out for this chapter, so it took a bit longer than I expected, but at 11 000 words, it should keep you happily reading for a good while.

Hope you enjoy the chapter!!! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 35 - A Desperate Struggle**

"W... what do you mean... something's coming???"

Shino slowly turned to Sakura as she addresses him with a concerned expression clearly evident in her voice, a feeling no doubt shared by the rest of the group if their body language was anything to go by. The Aburame silently noted, however, that Naruto seemed to be the most affected by the news and was now visibly shaking on the spot. Whether it was from fear, or simply a knowing dread at having already experienced such an encounter, he could not be sure.

"I mean exactly what I say." He finally responded, his voice far calmer and more calculating than the alarm such a situation perceived.

"I release a small number of my kikai bugs into the surrounding forest last evening in an effort to guard our perimeter and to act as a warning to alert me to any possible intrusions. If they managed to come across any such unwanted visitors, they would release a pheromone into the air that my hive would be able to detect and thus react to accordingly by warning me."

Shino then pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, before walking up to the entrance of the cave and peering out carefully, as if already searching for the signs of the inevitable invasion that was about to take place. After a brief moment of silence on his part, a notion that matched his distant personality, the Aburame eventually continued with his explanation.

"My kikai are also able to recognize the unique pheromones that my father's own colony secrete and are trained to inform me if he is nearby, but they were not able to detect his presence amongst our new guests. Considering that fact, and taking their numbers into account, that means that the probability is high that these are, in fact, hostile forces." The tall boy then turned back to face the others again, this time his expression becoming somewhat grim in light of his hypothesis.

"If they maintain their current speed, they will be here within the next five to ten minutes at my current estimation, taking into account the original distance of interception, their traveling speed and the time it takes for the kikai's pheromones to reach my hive judging by the current wind speed." The boy then let out a barely audible breath, something remotely akin to a weary sigh.

"That gives us very little time to move away from the area and they would probably be able to track us even if we tried to flee." Shikamaru groaned distastefully. "Which means our only chance is to put up a stand here and try to catch them off guard."

Everyone remained silent at the Nara's suggestion, which Shikamaru took as a sign that no-one was in disagreement with his plan. Either that or they simply couldn't think of anything better at the time. The Nara simply groaned once more, realizing that his big mouth had once again landed him in the leading role, if only due to the fact that there were no better alternatives for the position.

"Alright then, I guess that means we all agree. We'll have to head out of here immediately if we are going to stand any chance of survival. We'll be trapped like rats in a cage if we remain inside this cave, so our best option is to use our surrounding environment to our advantage if we want to set up a successful ambush. Let's get going."

Once all was said and done, the group quickly made their way out of the cave, leaving a certain blond nervously contemplating the scenario they had now stumbled into once more. Naruto simply watched as everyone else left ahead of him, before letting out a tired sigh, doing little to hide his tension from the other two waiting with him.

"This... this is all my fault." He murmured disdainfully. "I'm the one they're after and now everyone else is being put in danger as well." The young boy flinched slightly when he felt a small hand touching gently against his arm, before turning to see Hinata looking back at him with a heavy expression.

"Naruto, you can't blame yourself for something you have no control over. You didn't choose for this to happen and I know you would never willingly put anyone in harms way if you could help it." Naruto just frowned in return, before shifting his gaze to the floor.

"How can you say that? You don't even know why they are after me. You don't know why they want to hurt me or what it is they see in me and yet you are still willing to stand by me. How can you trust me when you don't even know... what... I am?"

Hinata simply inched closer to the boy, while his emotions began to stir dangerously towards the negative end of the scope. The Hyuuga couldn't help the uneasy tension that fluttered in her heart as she felt his pain coursing through her body, but even then she didn't let go.

"It.... doesn't matter what they see in you and I don't care who they think you are." Hinata finally responded assuringly. "Because I can see that you're a good person, who just happens to have bad things happening to him all the time. I may not know _what_ you are, but I do know _who_ you are. You're my friend and I'm not going to leave your side as long as you need me to be there for you. Lee would do the same thing if he were here."

The girl then squeezed Naruto's arm gently, trying to reassure him of her resolve in any way she could. The Hyuuga could feel his tension just through their contact with one another, but she new that it was more than his own safety that worried him.

**"That goes for me as well!!!"** Ryuukimi interrupted, causing Naruto to flinch at the sudden and very loud announcement. He had almost forgotten that the dragon was there in the first place.

"Now that we're together, we'll kick their asses and show them just how strong we are!!! No-one messes with Naruto-chan when his friends are there to back him up!!!!" The blond boy just smiled at he sudden show of support and the genuine feelings he felt through both of their touches, before lifting his head with a newfound resolve.

"Thanks guys, I'm glad I have you two with me. There isn't anyone else I'd rather have watching my back than two of my best friends." The three of them then began to make their way out of the cave to join the others, leaving the dark, tattered halls behind and creeping out into the early morning sunlight.

Once they had caught up to the others, the group re-settled further away from the cave and began to prepare for the worst. Shikamaru was just about to set a plan into motion, when Sasuke suddenly spoke up, breaking the attention that everyone held.

"Alright, let's get this over and done with as quickly as possible. These guys shouldn't be too difficult to handle if we just do things right. I just hope none of you guys get in my way when things get heated." With that, the Uchiha threw a knowing glance at Naruto and Ryuukimi, the latter of whom only glared back in response.

"You don't need worry too much about us, raven boy. After all, we wouldn't want you to lose your precious concentration, now would we?" Sasuke simply shrugged off the retort as if it didn't affect him at all.

"Please as if I'd make such an amateur mistake over the likes of you. At least I don't need some weird looking lizard to look out for me just because I can't take care of myself properly."

**"I'm a dragon!!!"** Ryuukimi responded harshly. "And I could kick your butt any day of the week!!! Well, as soon as I can identify it from your face anyway..." Shikamaru just groaned tiredly as the debate continued unhindered while Shino's eyebrows perked up above his glasses.

"This argument is not conducive to our current situation." The Aburame finally intervened, displaying an unusual amount of annoyance in his expression. "I would suggest that we proceed on our way as soon as possible, if we wish to avoid any unnecessary surprises."

"Agreed..." Shikamaru grunted. "Let's get going now before something bothersome happens."

"I think it's already too late for you kids in that regard."

The group quickly turned to see whose voice had addressed them, only to notice a tall figure walking out from the nearby trees, causing them to jump from their position on the floor and up to their feet. As soon as the shadowy mass came into the light, the youngsters could easily make out the dark green flack jacket that adorned his chest as well as the dark grey uniform that fell underneath, clearly signifying his status as a shinobi.

The only thing he was missing was a headband, denying the youngsters any guesses as to his loyalties. Instead, in its place, was a mop of chocolate brown hair that barely managed to cover his forehead, while framing two dark grey eyes that continued to glare with a bewildering malice. The man slowly approached the youngsters with a sly grin plastered on his expression, while the group of students quickly moved into a defensive formation, ready to act in case of an attack.

"Oh, hahahahaha, I see we're resorting to academy basics now!!! How sweet is that?!?" The man gloated, doing little to hide his obvious amusement.

"I see they still teach the same useless formations in that poor excuse for a ninja school as they always have. It's too bad that they never taught you anything really useful, because now that downfall will be inductive to your deaths."

The man then stopped just a few meters short of his prey, before his gaze finally fell around the blond haired figure of his target, a fact that Naruto noticed with a heavy cringe. The boy also noticed the sudden drop in the shinobi's expression as his amused grin suddenly fell away into a heavy sneer.

"Now, it's time to finish this little game of ours. I'm tired of frolicking around in this god forsaken country and I will not suffer any more wild chases with such pathetic runts as yourselves. This is the last time you'll ever see the light of day" With those words, the trees suddenly came alive with movement, revealing even more shadowed figures as they made their way out of hiding and into the clearing, flanking around their leader as if preparing to attack at his first command.

"Ah yes, where was I? I think I was just telling you how I was about to kill you. Of course, it would only be fair to give you my name, seeing as how I'm the last person you're ever going to meet in this life. Let's just say that you can call me Kyoui-san, although I can understand if you don't feel inclined to show me any form of politeness."

The jounin then settled his stance once more, rubbing off his smirk in favor of a far more methodical expression. Kyoui was just about to give the order to move, when Naruto suddenly stepped forward, much to everyone's surprise, and out of the group. The boy quickly moved in front of his companions and up towards where Kyoui was standing, with only Ryuukimi riding on his shoulders to provide him any hope of protection.

"What is this now, a little boy trying to be brave in the face of danger?" Naruto tried his best to push away his fears and just bowed slightly, while trying his best to hide his own quivering from view. The rest of the students just continued to stare in bewilderment while Kyoui regarded the boy curiously, wondering what plan the youngster had up his sleeve.

"Please, I'm begging you..." Naruto started, speaking in a barely audible tone. "... just leave the rest of them out of this. I'm the one you want, so just take me and leave my friends alone. They have nothing to do with this. I'll come quietly if you just promise to let the others go. After that, you can do whatever you want with me and I won't try to stop you."

The silence that followed was almost suffocating and Naruto could easily feel Ryuukimi shuffling uneasily on top of his shoulder as well as the overwhelming tension coming though the dragon's touch.

"W... what do you mean?" Naruto looked back carefully to see the rest of the group staring at him curiously, before Sakura spoke up again, reiterating her previously voiced question.

"What's going on Naruto? Why do you say they're after you?" Naruto just remained silent, before turning back to face Kyoui again, who was now grinning madly with amusement.

"How noble of you, to sacrifice yourself in an effort to save your precious little friends even though they clearly know nothing about you. Too bad I'm not in a very giving mood today. You see, the thing is, I really don't feel like letting any of you live and it will be just as easy to kill all of you in any case. I'm going to have to decline your request in favor of a more... satisfying... option."

Naruto simply cringed as he heard the cruel words of his persecutor echo throughout the forest floor, causing his heart to tense uneasily. Ryuukimi could feel his emotions suddenly decline rapidly, as well as how his body began to quiver slightly underneath him.

"Please..." The boy then fell to his hands and knees, whether from exhaustion or desperation, no-one knew. "Please, don't hurt them. I swear I'll do whatever you want!" Ryuukimi quickly jumped down to the floor and ran around to try and help him up again.

"Naruto-chan, don't do this! Let us help you! You need to try and fight!" The dragon's words simply fell on deaf ears and Ryuukimi could only watch as Naruto's eyes began to turn a bright gold in colour, before the soft trickle of tears began to fall down his cheeks and onto the soil at his fingertips. His efforts to lift the boy to his feet were only met in vain and soon Naruto's desperation had completely consumed him.

"Just take me and leave the others alone! I don't care what you do to me, just don't hurt them!" He cried again.

Kyoui simply snorted distastefully, before making his way up to the quivering heap kneeling on the forest floor, moving slowly until he was right in front of the blond. Naruto could only make out the black, soil-ridden sandals that made up the base of his feet as well as Ryuukimi's uneasy shuffling at his side.

"How... pathetic..." The man grumbled, before leaning down to meet the boy's height. Kyoui then grabbed the collar around Naruto's jacket, before lifting the boy off his feet and up into the air.

"Ngghhh!!!" Naruto quickly moved his hands up to grab the jounin's arm in an effort to alleviate the strain on his neck as well as the weight that hindered the injury on his shoulder, but unfortunately his left arm could not go any higher than his chest, so he was forced to use one hand to desperately pull himself up.

"To think that such a little brat could cause me so many problems, I'm going to enjoy killing you most of all..."

**"Let go of him!!!!"** Ryuukimi quickly jumped up to attack the man, but a well placed kick immediately sent the young dragon sprawling across the forest floor and over to where the other students were anxiously waiting.

"Ryuukimi!" Hinata quickly caught the small creature just in time to save him from slamming into the base of a tree, before moving forward to help her friend. Only a quick hand from Shikamaru stopped her in her tracks before she could get far.

"No, wait, if you rush in now you'll only end up getting hurt. We have to wait for the right moment to act, otherwise Naruto might be placed in even more danger than before."

"Well, he wouldn't be in danger if he didn't try and act like a hero." Sasuke retorted.

He was surprised when Hinata didn't even bother to respond to his comment. The Hyuuga instead simply stopped in her tracks and continued to watch anxiously as the dreadful scene unfolded before her eyes, while Naruto dangled precariously at the hands of his attacker. The boy's anguished groans only served to raise her tension even more.

_'Naruto, please, just hold on...'_

Of course, Hinata wasn't the only one who was anxious. The girl could clearly make out the distinct sounds of buzzing at her side and she also noticed that Sasuke's hand was already resting on top of his kunai holster, as if preparing to attack. Even the faint sounds of whimpering floated through the air, clearly signifying Akamaru's distress, which was no doubt closely matched by Kiba's own emotions at the time. All they could do now was wait for the right moment strike and hope for the best.

Kyoui simply looked back at the group of youngsters, who had yet to make a move to help their companion, before settling his gaze back to the boy in his arms, who was still desperately struggling to maintain his breath as his throat was constricted by his collar.

"It seems that your friends don't care about you enough to go against me, not that I blame them for their decision to stay back. After all, who would want to save a worthless pile of trash like you?" The jounin then dropped Naruto to the floor disgracefully, allowing him to hit the ground with a heavy thud, before turning to make his way back towards his men.

Hinata took the opportunity offered to run up to her gasping friend with Ryuukimi in her arms, before they both landed next to the blond.

"Naruto, are you alright?" The boy just nodded his head shakily as the Hyuuga helped him to his feet again, before looking up to face the group of shinobi waiting on the other end of the clearing. Ryuukimi quickly jumped up onto his companion's shoulders once more, instinctively preparing for the worst, while the rest of their group moved into position around them.

Kyoui simply stretched his neck to the sides of his shoulders, eliciting a sickening crack as his joints popped into place, before letting out a deep, tired sigh.

"As enticing as your offer to sacrifice yourself may seem, I'm afraid I will have to decline. You see, my men were really looking forward to having some little brats as trophies on their walls... and who am I to deny them such a gift?" The man then turned around and re-evaluated the group of youngsters before him, narrowing his eyes dangerously as he did so.

"Alright, you can kill them now, but leave the little blond brat for me..."

In an instant, as soon as the jounin had finished speaking, the shinobi were on the move, quickly closing the small distance that separated the two groups before descending on their prey like a ravaging pack of wolves.

"Here we go... again..."

Naruto and Hinata both quickly jumped out of the way as an explosive tag was hurled in their direction, an action mimicked by everyone else in the area, before landing on either side of the clearing. The sound of clashing metal and flaring chakra soon followed the resounding blast that echoed throughout the trees, shattering the peace of the forest in a moments notice and replacing it with the symphony of battle.

In almost an instant a large swarm of insects suddenly burst out of the ground and enveloped some of the enemy shinobi, draining them of their chakra while immobilizing their advance. At the same time Sasuke was seen performing a katon jutsu in the distance, while several kunai were exchanged throughout the air, one of them barely missing Naruto as the stray projectile slammed into the tree next to where he had landed.

"Damn it, this isn't how it was supposed to happen!" The boy quickly jumped to his feet again, ignoring the pain that shot through his left shoulder, before running into the midst of battle, fully intent on doing his best to keep his companions from harm. Unfortunately a certain jounin had other plans for the young blond.

"Where do you think you're going, you have a reserved battle with me, remember?" The boy turned just in time to see a palm slamming into his firmly into his chest, sending him straight into the ground while Ryuukimi was flung right off his shoulders.

Before he even had time to breath, another kick shattered into the side of his chest, sending him across the floor before slamming him into the base of a nearby tree.

**"Gaaaahhh!!!!!"**

Naruto desperately pushed himself up of the floor, before leaning himself against the base of the firm structure at his fingertips, only to see Kyoui charging up to his position, his eyes shot with bloodlust and a desire to kill. The boy barely managed to deflect the outstretched kunai that was fully intent on stabbing into his chest, before flimsily blocking another crushing blow with his right arm, eliciting a painful crunch from the powerful impact that followed and causing him to cringe in pain once more.

**"Nggghhh!!!!"** Kyoui then grabbed the boy's arm in the opportunity that followed and immobilized his efforts to struggle, before placing his other hand around Naruto's exposed neck, pushing his body up against the base of the tree and slamming his head into its trunk with a heavy crash.

"You're not half bad for a kid..." The jounin snickered, before lifting Naruto into the air by his throat, effectively constricting his windpipe in a simple, effortless motion. "To bad you're not good enough to play with a jounin, otherwise this might have actually been fun for a while."

The young blond began to thrash desperately in an attempt to buy himself oxygen, but his struggles quickly proved to be in vain. Kyoui already had his only usable arm firmly in his grasp and pinned against the tree, while his other arm dangled uselessly at his side, unable to do anything to help his situation.

Naruto's chest began to heave and convulse rapidly in a desperate effort to draw air into his lungs, but only a strained screech escaped his lips in response, while tears began to stream down his face. The only thing Naruto could see now was the blurred images of his friends battling in the distance, before darkness began to fall over his vision.

_'I... I can't die now. I have to... try... and fight...'_ The boy let out a desperate cry for help, but his voice had been completely constricted in the merciless grip that held his throat. Kyoui only smirked at his desperation, allowing the boy to clearly see his obvious glee.

"Does it feel good?" He sneered mockingly. "Can you feel my anger flowing into your heart, can you feel my hatred crawling into your soul and ripping it to shreds? Does it cause you pain?"

Naruto's eyes began to grow dark, as his body continued to convulse violently against his will, desperately struggling for oxygen. The boy's heart began to twist in his chest as the merciless assault on his emotions continued unhindered, filling him with the overwhelming pain of the hatred of another soul. Kyoui could only smile as his prey's struggles began to die down altogether, before Naruto's body finally grew limp in his arms.

"That's it... there we go, now I can see the life leaving those blue eyes of yours. It's almost over now, just a little bit more and you won't have to worry about your friends any longer. In fact, you'll finally have the peace that you're looking for." Naruto was just about to black out altogether, when a small glimmer of white fabric caught his failing vision, before a figure suddenly leapt into the air above them.

**"LET NARUTO-KUN GO NOW!!!!!"**

Hinata descended down from the sky with all the force and power she could muster, slamming her palm towards Kyoui's head in an effort to cleave it straight off of his shoulders. Unfortunately, the jounin noticed her attack at the last moment and quickly moved his left arm to deflect her blow, before brining her to the ground with a heavy crash. Naruto took the offered opportunity to move his right hand up to the jounin's arm in an effort to lift himself and alleviate his struggle for oxygen.

The boy managed to get a few strained breaths in before his strength failed him again, causing him to flop down into the man's vice-like grip once more.

"Stupid little brat! Don't interrupt me while I'm working!" Kyoui quickly picked the dark haired girl up by her arm and then slammed his foot into the Hyuuga's chest, eliciting a painful crack as his grievous blow shattered her ribs and sent her skidding across the forest floor before landing in a motionless heap.

**"Gggghhhhh!!!!!!"**

Satisfied that she would no longer prove a nuisance, Kyoui then turned back to his prey once more and continued about his business, but once again his efforts were interrupted by another desperate attempt to free the boy from harm. The sharp sting of needle like fangs suddenly burned in the man's right arm, causing him to drop his victim to the floor as Ryuukimi sank his teeth into the man's flesh, drawing out blood and tearing flesh asunder.

**"Arrrrggghhhh!!!!! Get off me you little shit!!!!!"**

As Naruto's limp body ungracefully hit the floor, the sudden rush of oxygen burst into his gaping lungs like an overwhelming flood of relief, easing the burning sensation that stung at his chest and allowing him to regain some much needed life in his eyes.

After allowing himself a small amount of relief, the boy quickly stood to his feet again, only to see Ryuukimi dangling in the air by Kyoui's arm as the jounin continued to thrash about in an attempt to rid himself of the bronze clamp that had attached itself firmly into his flesh.

"Ryuukimi, get out of there!!! He's going to hurt you!!!" Naruto then charged up to the jounin in an attempt to assist his friend's efforts to subdue the shinobi.

Unfortunately, his advance didn't go unnoticed by Kyoui's trained eyes and the man quickly grabbed Ryuukimi's snout and forced his hand between the dragon's jaws, effectively loosening his grip. The jounin then deflected the boy's desperate blow aimed at his stomach, before throwing his smaller companion straight into the ground as hard as he could manage.

**"You brats are gonna pay for that!!!"**

The jounin then direct a kick towards Naruto's head, who only managed to duck just in time to dodge the potentially grievous blow to the side of his temple, before the boy countered by slamming his own palm into the jounin's thigh, effectively brining him to one knee as his leg gave away from the sudden debilitating impact.

Ryuukimi took the offered opportunity to jump back onto his companion's shoulders and deliver a sharp tail swipe straight into the man's face, sending him reeling backwards and stumbling back up onto his feet again.

"Alright, time for some fire!!!!" Ryuukimi then inhaled sharply, before spreading his wings onto either side of Naruto. The dragon then exhaled in a stunning display of power and stamina, sending a large wave of fire from the tip of his breath, before advancing straight towards their jounin opponent.

"Damn brats!" Kyoui quickly formed a series of hand seals in response, before slamming his hands into the ground just as the inferno engulfed his position, burning away the water that had fallen the night before in a plume of steam while scorching the muddy soil that covered the forest floor. Once the attack was complete Ryuukimi took a deep breath, trying to ease his burning lungs.

"Whew, that was a big one! So, did we get him?" Naruto quickly activated his Tenraigan to search the smoke and debris for their opponent, but he could not find any trace through the dark plume that rose from the earth.

I can't see a trace of him anywhere, but stay on your guard just in case."

Suddenly, as if to confirm the boy's suspicions, the earth underneath them began to rupture, before the brown haired jounin burst from the ground, slamming his foot into the boy's chest and sending them both flying across the ground once more. The two youngsters slid through the mud and dirt that made up the forest floor, before finally grinding to a halt a few meters away.

"So, you brats want to play with fire eh? Fine, I'll show you a think or two!" Kyoui then formed another series of hand seals before holding his hand up to his mouth.

**"Katon! Karyuu Endan!!!"** The man then released a large stream of fire as it emanated of the tip of his lips, forming the shape of a massive and terrifying dragon, before surging towards the two youngsters who were now at the mercy of the attack.

"Naruto-chan, quickly curl up and make yourself as small as you can!!!!" The boy did as he was told and quickly curled up into a ball, before Ryuukimi crouched over him, folding his wings protectively over the young blond before burying his own head down into the shield.

Kyoui simply watched with a maddening glee as the two youngsters were engulfed in the inferno that followed, the fire swallowing them in a torrent of ash and death while scorching the earth around them in a cruel display of power and malice. Once the attack died down, the man slowly approached the blanket of smoke that remained in order to confirm his kill.

"Well, I guess the fun is over then. An academy runt would never be able to survive something like that. " The man was surprised, however, when the smoke cleared, only to reveal two glimmering bronze wings as they glowed warmly in the sunlight, sheltering a small bundle underneath them with their protective embrace.

"So, the dragon can resist the effects of fire. Now that's a handy little thing for you." Suddenly the wings open once more, revealing a large, golden sphere of fire being held at the center of Ryuukimi's open jaws.

**"Ryuuton! Teikoku Karyuu!!!"** The golden orb of flame immediately blasted off towards the unwary jounin, who narrolwy managed to evade the attack just before being blasted into a smoldering ruin. The shinobi landed gracefully on the forest floor and then turned to see Naruto emerging from the ground, his body and face now full of mud, with Ryuukimi still balancing expertly on his shoulders.

"Hmmm, I must admit, you kids are much better than I had originally ascertained. It's no wonder you managed to best one of my patrols, but unfortunately for you the fun is now over. It's time for me to start taking this seriously!" Naruto and Ryuukimi both fell into a defensive stance, preparing for the inevitable attack of their opponent while Kyoui cracked his knuckles in his hands.

"Now, it's time to die!" Immediately, the jounin disappeared in a sudden flash of motion, startling the two youngsters with his overwhelming increase in speed.

_'A Shunshin no Jutsu...'_

"Where did he go?" Ryuukimi gaped, searching around carefully for their opponent.

"I'm here..." Naruto quickly turned to the source of the voice, only to receive a foot in his chest for all his efforts, sending him down to the floor and hurtling through the mud, while Ryuukimi once again lost his hold on his companion's shoulders. The boy barley even managed to open his eyes again, when the sudden glint of a kunai met his gaze, carrying the burning tip of an explosive tag as it sank into the ground next to him.

**"Oh, crap!!!"**

Naruto barely had enough time to turn his back to the deadly explosive before it went off only a moment later. The blast that followed immediately slammed against the boy's defenseless body before he could even move from his position, while picking him up and flinging him across the air like a ragdoll, shortly before depositing him on the forest floor in a burning heap.

**"Aaaahhhhh!!!!!"** Naruto tried desperately to extinguish fire that had caught on the back of the jacket that Kiba had given him, but his efforts earned him little success, so instead he quickly pulled the burning clothing off with his free hand and deposited it on the ground. The boy then collapsed onto his chest in his exhaustion, while reeling from the pain of burning flesh, his back singed from the flames that had enveloped him only moments before.

"Nggghh!!! Why does it hurt so much? Why does it always have to hurt so much?"

The boy then moved his hand up to his left shoulder, which was now bleeding again from the impact he had with the ground only a moment before. The red stain of blood quickly ran over his fingers and down his hand before soaking into the mud that made up the forest floor while Naruto tried desperately to stem the crimson flow.

"I... can't give up now. I have to carry on. I have to try..." Two cerulean eyes then slowly began to make their way over the forest floor, searching around the clearing for any signs of possible hope, but only the cruel reality of his predicament met his gaze as the battle continued to rage around him.

He could see Shikamaru and Chouji fighting back to back in the distance, sparing every effort to save themselves from being overwhelmed by the sheer hopelessness of their enemies numbers. Even Ino and Saukra were in the midst of the battle, although they opted to remain closer to Sasuke, who was holding the enemy off with what looked like a katon jutsu of some kind. Shino seemed to be fairing the best out of all of them, using his bugs to expertly fend off his opponents while swarming the enemy shinobi that came within his attack range.

Kiba was also currently engaging a small number of shinobi on his own and it was all the boy could do to just try and survive as long as possible, while Akamaru rode on top of his head and warned him of incoming attacks with sharp yips. The only two he couldn't see at the time were Ryuukimi and Hinata, who had both since disappeared from his view.

"I... I don't know what to do anymore. I'm not strong enough to stop them all."

"Then why do you bother fighting, when you know you're going to die anyway?"

Naruto turned his head to look up again, only to see Kyoui standing over him with a triumphant expression plastered on his face. The boy pushed his hand against the floor in a desperate struggle to stand again, before making his way to his feet. He was using every effort he could spare just to keep himself from falling over, while still holding his shoulder defensively and cradling the injury that was now writhing with agony.

Kyoui simply looked over the boy's exposed body, taking his time to admire the numerous cuts, bruises and burn marks that covered his torso, which were only slightly hidden by the faint trails of mud that now covered his chest. The boy was now quivering from both pain and blood loss and was barely even able to keep his eyes open any more.

"I... I just want to protect everyone. I just don't want anyone else to get hurt for me anymore, so please, just take me and leave them alone. Please, just kill me, torture me, do whatever you want, just don't hurt them anymore."

The jounin simply sneered at the boy's request before grabbing Naruto's right arm and stretching it out in front of him painfully, exposing the numerous injuries that dotted along its length and eliciting a painful yelp from the sudden, jolting movement.

"See these marks, see these burns? They are what you get for trying to protect your '_precious little friends'_!!! This is what happens when you try to protect those around you instead of facing the simple, harsh reality of our world." Kyoui then grabbed Naruto's left shoulders, before pulling off the bandages that covered his injury, exposing the wound to his eyes and causing it to bleed even more from the sudden, harsh exposure.

"Is this your reward for protecting everyone?" He sneered cruelly, watching as the blood continued to run down Naruto's chest and onto the forest floor at his feet. The boy just cringed as he was degraded even further by the jounin's mocking taunts and cruel punishment, knowing full well that there was little he could do to stop the man, while Kyoui's eyes continued to hold him in complete discontent.

"Please, I bet they wouldn't even care if you died. The only reason they're trying to save you is because you're so pathetic, that they actually feel sorry for you! But now they will die just as you will. My men have only been playing with them up until now, but soon the game will end and all of you will die, starting with the little monster himself!"

The man the grabbed the boy's shoulder once more, before digging his thumb into the wound and causing it to rupture under the pressure of his grip. Naruto fell to his knees as the pain shot throughout his body, while the shinobi continued to apply pressure to the wound, causing it to gush out with blood as the boy screamed in agony.

**"Gaaaahhhh!!!!!** Please... stop!!!!! It hurts..." The jounin simply ignored the boy's cries for mercy, instead opting to remove a kunai from his holster and hold it up to his prey. Through his tears, Naruto could barely make out the faint traces of poison sliding off the tip of the blade, having learned their properties during his lessons with Anko.

"Ah, now look at this wonderful thing. I saved this little darling especially for this purpose and now I'll get to see its effects first hand. I think this is a suiting gift for a monster like you. What better way to meet your end than to be cursed with a slow and painful death such as the one I'm about to bestow upon you?"

Naruto tried desperately to free himself from the jounin's grasp, only to have his efforts hampered as Kyoui clamped down on his shoulder even more, causing him to cry out in agony. The brown haired shinobi then moved the tip of the kunai over to the exposed wound before driving the metal blade into the boy's flesh.

**"Nggghhhh!!!! Aaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!"** Naruto's screams of agony echoed across the air as Kyoui continued to twist his weapon into the boy's flesh, until he was satisfied with his handiwork. The jounin then stepped away again and let Naruto fall to his hands and knees, his tears now streaming down his face while blood continued to pour from his wound.

**"N... Naruto-chan!!!"** Ryuukimi tried desperately to pick himself up off the floor and make his way over to his companion, but found himself unable to move, his own body now laced with the pain of his injuries.

The young dragon could only watch as his blond companion slowly began to double over as the poison began to spread throughout his body, before reeling in pain as it continued to burn through his veins. He barely even had the strength to remove the kunai from his shoulder, and it took all his effort just to do so, but it was already too late to stop the poison's deadly advance.

"Ahhh, now it's finished." Kyoui snickered, before kneeling down to meet the boy's gaze. "Now you will die, just like you were meant to. There is no hope for your survival. Either the poison will kill you, or the blood loss will, but either way you're never going to see your home, or your precious father, again."

Naruto just looked up to the jounin with heavy, tear-strewn eyes, before pushing himself to his feet once more, fighting against the pain that flared throughout his body in an effort to remain strong. The jounin simply watched in stunned silence as the boy slowly stumbled into an upright position in front of his very eyes, his balance dwindling precariously as though he were nothing more than a twig in thunderstorm.

"I... I'm not done yet. I won't give up..." Kyoui simply remained silent for a brief moment, before finally laughing at the feeble words that emanated off the boy's lips.

"Hahahahaha!!!! Please, as if you have any chance to defeat me now! You can hardly even stand on your own, much less fight!"

"I'm... not on my own" Naruto responded weakly. "I still have... friends..." The jounin just snorted at the thought, before standing to his feet once more, looking down at the boy in front of him with a loathing hatred burning in his eyes.

"Fine, lets see your friends try and help you now. Let us see how far they are willing to go to save you."

**"I'll go through any length to protect Naruto-kun!!!!!"**

Kyoui turned to face the newly announced arrival, only to see Hinata charging up to his position, completely ignoring the pain in her chest in an effort to save her friend. The girl's Byuakugan was now burning fiercely in her eyes, showing her unyielding resolve and her overwhelming determination.

"So the Hyuuga has finally come back to play a little more. Let's see how you do this time." The jounin quickly deflected the blow directed towards his chest as Hinata closed the gap between them with a startling speed, but was surprised when she spun underneath his guard and slammed another pinpoint strike straight into his left leg, effectively closing the tenketsu and causing him to falter in his step.

The girl then followed up with another strike to the man's arm, but found her attack meeting thin air as her target suddenly vanished from in right in front of her eyes.

"What, where did he go?"

**"Hinata, behind you!!!"** The girl quickly turned around just as Naruto shouted in warning, only to feel a hand grab her throat before lifting her into the air.

"You're not bad, little girl. It's not every day that an academy brat can get a hit off on a jounin like that, but even then, you're still no match for a real shinobi. You can join your little friend in death in a moment."

The man then threw the Hyuuga across the air, before slamming into Naruto's chest and sending both of them skidding along the floor. Naruto let out another groan of pain as the mud grinded against his back and entered into his wounds, while Hinata rolled off of him and onto the floor.

"Naruto, are you alright?" The girl then jumped to her feet and lifted Naruto up off the floor, before supporting his arm over her shoulder. "Come on Naruto, you can do this, just hang in there with me."

Naruto could hardly even respond, his body now too weak to even support himself up on his own two feet. Instead he just groaned tiredly, before lifting his head up to face his opponent, an action Hinata matched soon afterwards. The two could only watch as Kyoui slowly walked up to them, before snickering malevolently at the sight that met his eyes.

"Oh this is just too much. To see you struggling so hard to fight off the inevitable, it's simply too entertaining for words. I'm going to enjoy watching you die slowly in the arms of your friend, and then I'm going to enjoy seeing her eyes fill with horror as I give her the same gift of sleep that I have so generously offered you." The jounin then began to move over to the youngsters once more, before another arrival caught the corner of his eyes.

**"Tsuuga!!!"** Kyoui quickly jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the wild tornado that slammed into the ground where he was standing. Without even a moment's pause, Kiba came bursting straight out of the muddy ruins and over towards the brown haired shinobi, before driving a blow straight towards the jounin's chest.

**"Lets see you take this, you jerk!!!!!"**

"Oh please, you're just another little boy trying to play the big hero." Kyoui simply grabbed the boy's arm before it landed its mark and then twisted it painfully, causing it to crack at the sudden motion of his wrist.

**"Aaahhh!!!!!"** The jounin then followed up with another blow, slamming his heel into the Inuzuka's leg while extracting another sickening crack from the blow. Kiba simply flopped down to the ground in agony, his leg no longer able to support his weight, before another foot slammed into his the side of his ribs, sending him across the floor and over to where Naruto and Hinata were standing. The boy skidded to a halt just in front of the other two youngsters before reeling in his agony.

"Kiba, are you alright?" Naruto gulped, looking down to check on the boy. The Inuzuka just continued to squirm in agony, while cradling his wrist against his chest. Akamaru was busy cradling up to the boy's side while whimpering hopelessly as he writhed in pain.

"Nggghhh!!!! I think he just broke my wrist and my leg!!!! He's way stronger than the others."

Naruto then looked up again only to see Kyoui charging up to their possition once more, ready to deliver the final blow and finish the battle once and for all. The boy desperately tried to think of any way to escape the precarious situation they had found themselves in, but hope was now wearing thin and the poison in his body was starting to take its toll. Naruto could hardly even see properly anymore and if it weren't for the Hyuuga supporting him, he would already be helplessly crawling along the floor.

"Damn it, I... I can't even form any hand signs to mold my chakra properly and my body will hardly move anymore. I guess this means I have no choice but to use _that_ jutsu. I just hope it isn't too much for my body to handle." Naruto then raised his arm up to the air, before pointing his palm over to the direction of the jounin's approach.

"Hinata, do you think you can hold me steady for a moment?" The girl looked towards Naruto with a curious stare before silently nodding her head, confirming her readiness to help.

"Alright, I'm going to try something dangerous, I just hope it's worth the risk. Come on... please work this time!"

As if to heed the boy's plea for help, the intricate traces of golden patterns suddenly began to form at the base of Naruto's right shoulder, before burning their way down his arm in a flow of golden light, almost as though it were liquid gold, until its entire length was covered in the softly glowing patterns.

The light then ran over his hand before converging at the centre of his palm, causing a seal to appear as it glowed softly through the fabric of his bandages. Kyoui paused in his advance when he saw the strange occurrence taking place and eyed out the boy carefully, noticing Naruto's face begin to grow even more weary as the tip of his palm began to glow brightly.

"What? I've never seen chakra like that before. Pure chakra shouldn't even be visible, much less able to produce so much light." Once the sphere of energy had reached its peak in power, Naruto concentrated it into the centre of his hand before condensing it into a single point, using all the strength he could muster to keep it intact.

"Alright, here we go! **Tenpo! Amatsu Yari!!!"** Just then, a sharp burst of searing light blasted straight off the tip of Naruto's palm, causing both himself and Hinata to stumble backwards from the sudden spurt of power, before burning through the air in a concentrated arc of energy.

Kyoui quickly motioned to evade the attack, but it was moving too fast to avoid completely and he could only get so far before it reached his position. As soon as the burning spear of light made contact with the ground at his feet, it burst out into a blinding eruption of concentrated energy, forming a glowing sphere of heat and light while burning away the ground underneath it and illuminating the entire area in a soft golden haze.

The sharp shrieking sound that echoed throughout the air quickly drew the attention of the others battling, causing them to turn their focus towards the glowing orb that burned away at the centre of the clearing. After a few moments of devastating release, the light finally sputtered violently and then died down, leaving nothing but a small glassy crater smoldering in its wake, with Kyoui nowhere in sight.

"Did... did I get him?" Naruto then collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, his body now completely overcome by agony and fatigue, while Hinata sank down with him to keep him from hitting the floor.

"Naruto! Are you alright?" Naruto didn't respond and simply sank down into the soft fabric of Hinata's clothes. The girl watched as the patterns that dotted along his arm began to slowly melt away again before disappearing all together.

_'That was the same chakra I saw before when we were first attacked on the mountainside.'_

The girl then turned her attention back to Naruto again, doing her best to comfort him as his body twisted in agony. The boy's breathing was now beginning to become even more erratic and his body was now burning hot to the touch. Hinata just gulped in distress, before activating her Byuakugan to scan his condition. What she saw immediately caused her heart tense up.

_'It's... poison...'_ The girl then lay him down on the floor, before placing her head on his chest, listening to the sporadic thud of his heart. _'Damn it, his heartbeat is becoming irregular as well. The poison has already begun to spread to his primary organs. At this rate... if he doesn't get proper medical attention, he'll...'_

Just then a figure landed next to the girl, interrupting her thoughts and drawing her attention skywards, only to see Shikamaru looking down at her with a concerned expression. He also had a very battered looking Ryuukimi in his arms, no doubt having rescued the dragon in the interim of silence that had presented itself.

"How's he doing?" The Nara asked carefully, before kneeling down next to them and letting Ryuukimi out of his hands. The dragon quickly flopped down next to his companion and crawled up to his side, while Hinata let out a deep, wavering sigh, clearly displaying her distress.

"N... not too good. He's been infected with a very strong poison and I don't have any way to remove it from his body. He needs to get to a hospital for proper medical attention otherwise his heart will stop. I just don't know if he's going to make it..."

Soon afterwards, the rest of the students landed in the area, taking the offered opportunity to regroup in the chaos that followed Naruto's attack. The enemy shinobi were now in complete disarray, searching around the area for their missing leader while seemingly ignoring the group of youngster that had now gathered together.

Ino and Chouji quickly moved over to Kiba's position and checked on his condition while Hinata and Shikamaru continued to keep tabs on Naruto, who was now beginning to sweat profusely. The boy's anguished cries and momentary convulsions did little to ease their tension and even Ryuukimi looked like he was beginning to lose all hope.

The dark haired Hyuuga continued to reapply pressure to the boy's shoulder wound, trying to stem the bleeding as best as she could while holding Naruto down to ease his shaking. At the same time, Sasuke, Shino and Sakura continued to stand guard over them, continually checking for the enemies' possible attack.

"I have to commend you, that was an impressive display indeed. I've never seen anything quite like it before." All of the youngsters turned once more to see Kyoui emerging from the ground, his face now filled with a menacing expression. Sasuke and Shino both prepared to attack, to which the jounin simply smirked confidently.

"Well, I must say, this has been fun after all, but alas, all good things must eventually come to an end. This time, however, it will be yours!" The jounin was just about to act, when Naruto began to push himself off the floor once more, much to both Hinata and Ryuukimi's surprise and protest. The boy slowly stumbled to his feet, trying his best to keep his balance, before making his way out into the front of the group.

"No Naruto, don't..."

Kyoui simply snarled at the sight before his eyes, now becoming infuriated by the standing blond figure that met his gaze, seemingly acting in defiance of his will.

"How? How can you still try to keep fighting when you know there's no hope. Why would you allow your own suffering continue?" Naruto just stumbled precariously as his quivering legs began to give way underneath him, but he quickly righted himself before collapsing entirely, fighting desperately against the pain that overwhelmed his body and the effects of the poison and blood loss that drained away his life.

"I... I don't want anyone to get hurt for me. I will fight until I am dead if it means I have any hope of keeping them safe." Sasuke simply snorted indignantly at the announcement while Kyoui's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Hmmph! Dobe, You can hardly stand much less even think about fighting and yet you're still trying to act tough. Why don't you just stay back and let us handle this loser?" Naruto just shook his head at the boy's suggestion.

"No, I won't go back, not now. I have to keep trying, no matter how painful it gets or how much this body is punished. If I runaway now, or try to hide, I'll never be able to forgive myself." The Uchiha simply turned his vision forward again, resettling his gaze back to their opponents who had now repositioned themselves for one last, final attack.

"Fine, suit yourself. If you want to die so badly, that isn't my problem, but at least now you'll get to see a real jutsu in action!" The dark haired boy then formed a series of hand seals, molding his chakra for one last desperate attack.

**"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!!!"** A large ball of fire then emanated off of the boy's lips before hurtling towards the group of shinobi with a surprising ferocity. Kyoui, however, simply smirked at the encroaching attack before slamming his palms into the ground.

**"Doton! Doryuuheki!"** At that moment, a large wall of earth suddenly erupted out from the ground, forming a protective barrier in front of the shinobi while swallowing the fireball whole. The resounding blast that followed showered the entire area in a hail of earth and debris, littering the muddy forest floor with smoldering ruins.

Shino took the presented opportunity to release a swarm of kikai in the chaos that followed, allowing the dark cloud of insects to descend on their opponents with a merciless fury.

"Nice try, but you kids will have to do better than that! **Katon! Karyuu Endan!!!"** A large plume of fire immediately appeared out of the plume of debris, before scorching the encroaching swarm with little remorse or mercy. The inferno then continued on its path straight towards the group of youngsters, causing Naruto to curse under his breath.

"Damn it, this isn't good! I have to try and save everyone!" The boy then lifted his right hand into the air and held out his palm in front of him, before the faint traces of a golden seal began to glow through the fabric that covered his wound.

"Let's just hope I can do this with one hand. **Tenpo! Amatsu no Saiden!"** Just then, a soft film of light began to emanate of the tip of Naruto's hand, before circling around the group and enveloping them in a protective field of warmly glowing light, just as the inferno impacted with its surface.

**"Ngggghhhh!!!"** Naruto stumbled slightly as the two jutsu clashed in a tempest of fire and light, while the others could only watch as the flames encircled around them, only being held at bay by the protective glow of the boy's jutsu. Soon, their vision of the surrounding forest was blotted out by nothing but the burning embers fire as the inferno engulfed the sphere completely, surrounding them in a torrent of death while Naruto gave all his strength in maintaining his defensive sanctuary around them.

"I... I can't hold it... I'm not strong enough..."

Naruto collapsed to his knees as the onslaught continued unabated, while desperately trying to hold his jutsu intact. He was just about to collapse all together, when he felt two arms suddenly tighten around his chest, holding him up and supporting his weary body from falling to the floor. The boy took a brief moment to look back, only to see Hinata kneeling behind him, holding on to him for dear life.

"I'm here Naruto! I won't let go as long as you need me!" The young container then felt the sudden burst of chakra flowing into his body, giving him some much needed strength in the efforts to hold his jutsu intact.

Naruto shifted his attention forward again, only this time, his vision had begun to fail him all together, but even still he continued to hold on, doing everything in his power to keep up the shield that separated them from being burned alive. He could still feel the faint traces of chakra coursing through his body, a gift of strength given from the girl that held him from collapsing, but even still his energy dwindled rapidly.

Just then, as if reacting to the strain the boy encumbered, the small traces of the seal on Naruto's stomach began to slowly burn into view as chakra continued to flow through his body, causing it to show clearly around his navel, a fact that Hinata noticed with a sudden startle.

_'W... what is that? Why does Naruto-kun have a strange seal on his stomach? Is... is that what he was talking about earlier when he said that I didn't know what he was? Is that why everyone is trying to hurt him?'_

Before the girl could think on it any longer the seal slowly faded away again, just as Naruto's power began to wane once more, allowing the light around them to flicker precariously, as if threatening to give way at any second. It was only a few fleeting moments of desperate struggling later, before the inferno finally subsided, just as Naruto collapsed into Hinata's arms in exhaustion.

**"NARUTO!!!!"** The girl quickly fell backwards with him and held him in her arms, while carefully checking over his vitals with her Byuakugan, but what she saw only caused her heart to tense even more. "Damn it, the poison's spreading too far! His body isn't going to hold out much longer at this rate."

Hinata simply did the only thing she could and comforted her friend to the best of her ability, while Ryuukimi crawled up to his side, leaning against his arm in an effort to provide him what little support he could offer. The dragon pushed his snout up to Naruto's hand in an effort to move it, but instead it just flopped limply at his touch.

"Come on Naruto-chan, you can't die! I don't want to see you die, I don't want to lose my friend!" The young dragon could only watch as the boy's breathing quickened and his inhalations grew even more erratic, before two blue eyes suddenly focused on him with a startling intensity.

Naruto then moved his arm up to pet his companion's head with a shaking hand, before his efforts finally caused his body to grow limp in exhaustion. Soon after wards, his hand fell to the floor again, no longer able to gather the strength to even move.

"Buddy... I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you better. Please, you don't need to be here, so get out of here while you still can. You can still escape back to our home if you just dispel yourself." The dragon just shook his head before snuggling up to the boy even more, cradling his head on top of Naruto's arm.

"No... I won't leave, I won't let you die alone. Your my friend, my soul mate, and I'll stay with you until the end."

**"Ah, and what an end it is!!!"** All of the youngsters turned back to face Kyoui again as his menacing voice echoed throughout the air. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the finale of our grand show. Lets go out with a bang, shall we!?!?!?!"

The man then formed a series of hand seals once more, the same seals he had used only a few moments before. The youngsters already knew what was coming and it was all they could do to just prepare for the inevitable demise that was about to approach.

**"Katon! Karyuu Endan!!!"** After that another stream of fire burst forth towards the waiting youngsters, screaming across the forest floor with all the fury and malice of the very darkened soul that gave birth to it. Naruto closed his eyes and curled up into Hinata's arms as their demise approached, while she squeezed him tightly in comfort, both waiting for the inevitable doom that would follow.

"I'm... sorry I couldn't save you..." It was the last thing the boy said before his world finally fell into darkness, with only the terrifying screech that tore across the air to remind him of his encroaching demise. Now there was nothing left other than the embrace of shadow. No hope, no light, only darkness and pain.

_'I... just wish I could have been stronger...'_

Just then a voice suddenly called out into the air, echoing throughout the leaves and trees that littered the forest and causing Naruto's eyes to inadvertently shoot open again, revealing the blurry haze of his vision once more as he searched for the source of the sound. He recognized the voice immediately, it was all too familiar to his ears, and it brought sudden hope rushing back into his heart.

**"Suiton! Suijinheki!!!"**

At that very moment, all the moisture in the ground around them gathered through the soil, before bursting out of the ground in a stream of water and enveloping the children in a protective wall. The ravaging inferno that encroached upon them impacted with the protective shield soon afterwards, causing the flames to retreat as a plume of steam ruptured throughout the air.

"W... what the hell is going on!?!?" Kyoui stammered. "None of these kids know any water based jutsu!!!!!"

**"They might not, but we do!!!"** suddenly a large figure came crashing into the area, revealing the massive form of Choza as he landed in the clearing between the kids and their attackers.

"Now it's time to bring on the pain!!! **Chou Baika no Jutsu!!!**" The man instantly grew to at least twenty times his original height in less than a second, easily dwarfing most of the trees in the area, while effectively blocking off any chance of an attack on the students.

The massive colossus then clasped both of his hands together with open palms, before slamming them into the ground at his feet, fully intent on crushing the enemy shinobi in a single blow. Kyoui was barely able to move out of the way in time to avoid the devastating attack, before being sent sprawling through the air by the shock wave that followed, although some of his men were not as lucky as he was.

After landing in the ground with a wavering step, the jounin turned to face the source of his ire with a disgruntled expression, doing little to hide his obvious frustration.

"Damn it, how the hell did you find us?!" The man was only answered by the cold touch of metal stroking the base of his neck.

Kyoui carefully turned his gaze to the source of his endangerment, only to see a very infuriated Iruka standing just to the side behind him, holding a kunai to his throat while glaring harshly at brown haired man with unnaturally cold eyes. Soon afterwards, the rest of the parents and gaurdians appeared out of the trees and made there way into the clearing, their eyes all burning with the same intensity that reflected in Iruka's own hateful glare.

"You made the severe mistake of underestimating a parent's love for their children and the resolve that comes hand in hand with it. Now you are going to pay dearly for that discrepancy and for the harm you've brought to my son!!!"

--

Hey everyone! I was intending to finish this battle in this chapter, but once again it ended up becoming too long for my liking. I do promise, however, that this is the last cliffhanger you'll be forced to suffer... in this arch anyway. All will come to a relative conclusion in the next chapter, so just hang in there. I'm very sorry, but it's hard enough to push out chapters this long as it is, so please bear with me.

Also, I'm not usually very good at writing battle scenes, but I think this one came out pretty good for me. I am trying to improve though and I think I'm getting better at them, so hopefully you enjoyed it!

As for Sasuke knowing the 'Goukakyu no Jutsu', technically speaking he actually learned it when he was about seven (I think), when his father taught it to him, according to the series anyway. So I don't want to hear any nonsense about it being too advanced for him to have possibly known. He is considered a genius, after all.

**Notes:**

**"Ryuuton! Teikoku Karyuu!!!"** = Dragon Style! Imperial Dragon Flame!!!   
**"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!!!"** = Fire Style! Fire Ball Jutsu!!!   
**"Suiton! Suijinheki!!!"** = Water Style! Water Encampment Wall!!!   
**"Chou Baika no Jutsu!!!"** = Super Multi-sized Jutsu!!!   
**"Tenpo! Amatsu no Saiden!"** = Heavenly arts! Heaven's Sanctuary!!!   
**"Tenpo! Amatsu Yari!!!""** = Heavenly arts! Heaven's Lance!!!   
**"Doton! Doryuuheki!!!"** = Earth style! Mud Wall Jutsu!!!   
**"Shunshin no Jutsu"** = Body flicker technique   
**"Katon! Karyuu Endan!!!"** = Fire Style! Fire Dragon Flame Missle!!!   
**"Tsuuga!"** = Piercing Fang!

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD   
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	36. Chapter 36 Rescue

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

**AN:** Hey everyone, it's me again.

Firstly, I feel like I should apologize for my last message. I was having a pretty rough time and I was upset about a few things happening in my life, so I think I overreacted a bit when I said I wasn't going to write anymore. It isn't fair for me to react like that, even if someone is disrespectful towards me, because I can't expect everyone to like what I am doing all the time.

At the end of the day, it is the people who do enjoy my story that end up getting getting hurt by this, so next time I will give myself time to cool down before reacting again. I had a very trying week and a few problems that had to be ironed out, so please forgive me for that. I just let things get to me, I still do most of the time, but I promise I will try to do better next time.

As for everyone who did try to support me, thank you very much for that. I'm sorry about what I did, because you guys never deserved that from me, especially after being with me for so long after all of your support.

Also, please understand that I don't need reviews to continue writing (as some people seem to have misunderstood the purpose of my last message). I do it because I love doing it, it's just that it feels like I can't enjoy it when people bring me down. But now I'm going to set things straight again and I'm not going to let that happen anymore. This is my story and I shouldn't let anyone else make me feel bad about it, no matter what they say or do, because this is what I love doing.

I hope I haven't offended anyone too badly. Here is the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 36 - Rescue**

The gentle burning rays of scant sunlight gleam through the thick canopy of greenery that covered the forest under its protective shelter, reflecting and sparkling off of the remnant dots of water that beaded along the leaves while giving their surroundings a shimmering glow of small, shining lights.

The small, subtle beauty of nature's own shed tears were the only remaining evidence of the terrible storm that had taken place the night before and the peaceful and magical atmosphere they created stood in stark contrast to the destruction that now littered the surrounding environment. Terrible scars that since stained the very earth itself with their hideous and deformed gouges.

As two blue eyes continued to stare in complete surprise and bewilderment at the sudden and untimely arrival of their final hope of survival, Naruto's heart began to fluster uncontrollably in his chest, a sign of endless relief mixed with another new found anxiety. The girl that supported him on her own body could only do her best to calm his now erratic breathing while his body beaded with sweat and blood, as well as the tears of his pain.

"Dad... he's... still alive..."

Hinata quickly placed her hand on the boy's forehead as he desperately tried to voice his thoughts with a rasping breath, only to wince at the sudden rise in temperature that now embraced him in its deadly hold. The Hyuuga heiress then moved her arms around the blond's chest and held him firmly in place against herself in an effort to calm his uneasy shuffling and suppress his heavy breathing.

She could easily feel the strong and foreign surge of emotions flowing through her veins from his touch and it almost brought tears to her own eyes as the girl's heart was overwhelmed in a storm of ebbs and flows while her uneasy tension mixed in with that of the boy in her arms. It took every effort to remain strong and every ounce of willpower just to keep from collapsing on the spot, but Hinata knew that her friend needed her strength and support now more than ever.

A stray paw from Ryuukimi quickly pulled the panicked Hyuuga out of her stupor as it clawed at her jacket sleeve, drawing her attention back down to Naruto and his convulsing body as he tried to gain what little oxygen he could to speak, only to cough violently from his efforts. She got the message immediately and moved to act with little delay.

"D... don't talk Naruto, you need to relax." She stammered gently, while leaning her chin on top of his head in a comforting hold. "If you don't calm down and relax, the poison is going to spread even faster. You need to slow your heartbeat. Just follow my breathing and try to inhale at the same time as me. Your father and the others will be fine, so please just stay with me."

The girl got an uneasy nod in return for her request, which only did little to ease her growing anxiety. She knew he wouldn't last long at this rate and there was next to nothing she could do to help.

Once the Hyuuga heiress could feel Naruto's breathing begin to shallow and match her own rhythm more closely, Hinata let out a deep sigh of subtle relief, before looking up to take in their surroundings once more, noticing that they were now being closely guarded by the massive form of Choza, whose bulk had since almost completely blocked out the small amount of light that fell through the trees.

The other students around her continued to remain silent, sharing in the same view that she herself had now fallen into as well as a similar sense of shock and awe. Only Naruto's heavy breaths and Kiba's whimpers of pain broke the otherwise deafening silence.

She also noticed her own father standing on the other end of the clearing, his gaze firmly fixed on her location with an overwhelmingly unnerving expression, but somehow she knew it was not directed at her specifically. She gently squeezed the boy in her arms even more at that, as if to show her unyielding will to protect him, and noticed Hiashi flinch slightly at the suddenly defensive motion. Even Ryuukimi seemed to notice the startling movement, because he was also on high alert and guarding their side defensively.

_'So it is true then.'_ Hiashi thought to himself as he noticed the defiant look in his daughter's eyes. _'She cares about that boy more than anything else right now and has chosen to grow stronger for his sake. I can see it in her eyes and in the way she holds him close to her.'_

The Hyuuga clan-head then turned his gaze over to Iruka, whose kunai was still pressing firmly against the exposed neck of their jounin opponent. He had never seen so much anger and vengeance before such as that he saw held within the eyes of the scarred chunin and the he silently wondered to himself whether anything would be able to stand up to such an unyielding wrath.

The silence that had blanketed the clearing only moments before, was quickly shattered as a cruel snicker smeared across the chokingly thick air, causing all present eyes to fall on the chocolate brown hair and grey irises that identified the figure of their children's suffering.

"So, it seems as though I've been caught out after all." Kyoui finally sneered, doing little to hide his distaste of the current situation he now found himself abhorring to. "And to think that here I thought I would be able to take my time and enjoy tearing these little brats to pieces. I was just about to watch them burn alive right before my very own eyes as well. Oh how I've longed to here their screams..."

Iruka simply growled at the jabbing taunts and sickening words that fell from the jounin's lips and brushed them aside uneasily, before pushing his kunai even more threateningly against Kyoui's neck, causing the man to swallow air as the cool blade slid along his jugular.

"As far as I see it, you're in no position to push your luck. The only reason you aren't dead already is because we have some questions in need of answering, such as who it is that you are working for. Maybe if you give us some answers, you might come out of this more or less alive." Kyoui simply snickered at the chunin's words.

"Please, you mean to say that you're just going to let things be if I give you what you want? Look at what I have done. Take a good look at your so-called 'son' and tell me that you aren't going to take your vengeance out on me. I am neither foolish nor dimwitted, so don't insult my intelligence with your idle talk and false offerings of security. Take a good look and enjoy the sight of that monster as he bleeds to death in front of your very eyes, because that is the last time you will ever see him alive again."

The scarred chunin momentarily diverted his gaze away from his charge, turning it over to where Naruto was lying in Hinata's arms. He was immediately greeted by two cerulean, panic-stricken eyes, but they did little to hold his attention as his gaze wondered over the battered body that lay beneath them.

Iruka could easily make out the shoulder wound that adorned his son's body, as well as the blood that now streamed down the side of his chest. He could also see the cuts and burn marks that covered the rest of his torso, as well as those that marked his legs. The boy shuffled even more as his father's gaze fell over him, as if to try and move to meet him, but Naruto was quickly restrained by the Hyuuga that held him in her arms.

_'Thank goodness, he's alive... but he looks like he's been hurt badly. Damn it Naruto, what have they done to you?'_

"Do you see now?" A voice interrupted, jarring the man's thoughts while re-diverting his gaze back to his captive. "Can you see how hopeless it is to save him? He is going to die right here in this forest and there is nothing you can do to change that anymore. Now... now you will die with him as well!"

At that moment, the brown haired jounin suddenly disappeared in startling a flash of smoke. Iruka didn't even have time to react when a brutal force suddenly impacted with his body, sending him hurtling through the trees and into a nearby clearing. There was barely a second passing thereafter when the rest of the shinobi immediately fell into action, as if by some hidden que, re-initiating their battle once more in a symphony of chaos and destruction.

Shikaku took little time in analyzing the situation immediately after all hell had broken loose, conjuring a coherent strategy in mere seconds and relaying his orders to the surrounding parents and guardians.

"Choza, you take point in front of the students and make sure none of the kids get hurt! If anyone so much as looks at them in a way that displeases you, don't hesitate to make sure it's the last thing they ever see. The rest of us will handle these mercenaries and then we'll go and help Iruka. Understood?!?!"

The jounin got a unanimous bout of sharp nods in return, but there was hardly a second's pause in the fighting to indicate such a reaction had ever taken place. Shikaku could hardly even make out the faint traces of movement before Itachi silenced a fair number of enemy shinobi in a single blur of motion, slipping through their ranks like a hot knife through butter, while Hiashi and Tsume collided with their own prey in a tempest of wailing destruction.

Those who managed to escape the onslaught only did so to fall prey to Shibi Aburame's snare as his kikai proceeded to swarm their ranks and overwhelm them with sheer numbers, while the shadow user himself proceeded to fell his own prey with the more nefarious aspects of his clan's unique and equally deadly jutsu.

Even Kioshi and Inoichi took little time in ensnaring their prey with well-timed offensives and paralyzing techniques, before finishing their helpless victims with calculating strikes that aimed to end their struggles permanently.

Those foolish or ignorant enough to make an attempt on the children's lives were quickly brought short by merciless, crushing attacks as Choza continued to defend them from harm, holding little remorse for their offenders, while the students themselves could only watch on in complete amazement at the scene that met their eyes.

The battle was decided the moment it began and it was already clear for anyone to see just whom the victor would be.

--

As soon as Iruka felt the sharp impact of a heavy force colliding with the side of his body, he was no later flying through the air, brushing through the bushes and shrubs that littered the forest floor before finally entering into a nearby clearing, his body still precariously floating in mid air. Moments later, gravity finally took its course and the chunin came to a grinding halt as his body hit the muddy forest floor with a heavy thud, before sliding to a stop a few feet further down.

Iruka could still feel a heavy weight on top of his body, one he hadn't noticed until he landed, and looked up just in time to avoid the crushing blow directed towards his head, before hearing the dampened thud of a fist impacting against the soft ground beside his face.

**"Now you can join your son in death!!!"**

The chunin then looked up again only to see Kyoui staring down at him with a hateful glare. The jounin raised his fist to strike once more, but Iruka managed to bring one of his legs up between them, before delivering a sharp kick to the man's chest, sending him across the air and into the muddy forest floor.

The chunin then bounced back up to his feet and fell into a battle stance, watching as his opponent did the same across from where he was now standing. The two of them simply continued to glare at one another while the consistent sounds of battle continued to echo through the trees.

The faint sounds of screams could still be made out in amongst the otherwise overwhelming orchestra of flaring jutsu and clashing weapons and it was already clear just what was happening in the distance.

"Don't you see?" Iruka finally grunted dishearteningly. "You and your men have already been defeated, it is simply just a matter of time. There is no chance that they will be able to defeat so many high level Konoha shinobi at their level of skill so why even bother trying to resist? You have nothing left to fight for, so why don't you just face reality?"

Kyoui simply sneered at the question imposed towards him, before narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"I could care less for those pathetic meat bags." He snorted mockingly. "Those pitiful excuses for shinobi are nothing more than mercenaries for hire, failed shinobi who were cast away by their own villages for their inherent weaknesses. Now they are nothing more than expendable pawns who serve no other purpose than to be used and then discarded when their usefulness has come to an end."

"I find it funny that you are so quick to dismiss them as failures..." Iruka retorted. "... when you yourself are no better than any of them. You're a rogue ninja with no allegiances to any country, no doubt having defected from your own village after falling into dishonor and embracing the life of a missing nin. I know the third would never condone the services of the likes of you if he knew just how far you've fallen." The jounin's eyes narrowed even more at that, before a barely noticeable smirk crept onto the edge of his lips.

"So, you've figured it out, have you? It would interest me to know how it is that you came to such an amicable conclusion."

"It was simple really." Iruka responded confidently. "The Sandaime was very careful to keep the information surrounding the Kyuubi's sealing a closely guarded secret. Anyone who exposed such information, even within our own village, would be severely punished with charges of treason, so there is no way that anyone outside of Konoha could have learned about it so easily."

The chunin then narrowed his own eyes even more, as if to match his opponent's ferocity, although the subject of his own anger was of a different making altogether. It was a brief moment before he continued, this time his voice taking on a far more calculating and methodical tone.

"The fact that you seem to know that Naruto is the Kyuubi's container means that you must have been in Konoha when it attacked. Also, being a Konoha nin, you knew about our academy procedures as well as our security measures and took advantage of that information to set up a trap for Naruto by using a training excursion as a cover. Only a Konoha shinobi with experience in our ways and procedures would be able to pull of such an ambush so meticulously without any suspicion being aroused to the fact."

"Hmmph... Konoha you say…" Iruka furrowed his brows curiously as Kyoui huffed in annoyance, before the jounin's gaze met him once more, only this time they held an endless amount of ire within their depths that spoke clearly of his distaste of the very word uttered from the chunin's lips.

"Don't mention that disgraceful name in my presence again. It sickens me just hearing that such a place still exists in this world. You assume much in thinking that it was I who planned this entire farce. I abandoned that god-forsaken village a long time ago, the very moment the Sandaime allowed that monster of yours to live. The same monster that killed my fellow shinobi, my own teammates and friends, and left me with nothing but hatred to drive me through this cursed life I endure."

Iruka simply frowned in discontent as he felt his heart begin to tense even more. To hear Naruto, his son, being referred to as nothing more than a beast made his unease that much worse and his anger that much more prevalent.

"Naruto is not a monster!" He snapped harshly. "And he has never done anything to hurt anyone! In fact, he's the only reason we are all still alive today. Perhaps you should take another long hard look at the boy you've claimed to be the Kyuubi and maybe you'll finally see that the only person you've ended up hurting is a small innocent child who has endured a curse far worse than anything you've described suffering."

The chunin then placed his hands together in a seal, as if to prepare for battle, before speaking once more, this time in a softer tone.

"Unfortunately, I know that such a realization will never occur. Some people are just too blind to see past their own hatred, no matter which innocent soul must suffer for their selfish actions. I will stop your madness right here and put an end to the pain you've caused my son."

"Tough words, coming from a chunin." Kyoui sneered in response, before shifting into an attack position. "Unfortunately for you, a shinobi such as yourself is completely outmatched against the likes of me, so words aren't going to save you now! I think I'll enjoy killing you almost as much as that brat of yours."

With that, the jounin immediately lunged forward in a mad rush, while forming a series of hand signs at the same time. Iruka watched carefully as the man jumped into the air above him before completing his jutsu. The maddening glint in Kyoui's eyes only served to betray the evidence of his dwindling sanity and the hatred he still clung to so desperately.

**"Burn in hell monster lover!!! Katon! Karyuu Endan!!!"**

Iruka continued to watch in startled amazement as the bright orange plume of fire erupted straight from the jounin's mouth, a tempest of fury that almost matched the similar glaze he could see in the man's eyes, before Kyoui's figure disappeared behind the inferno all together. The chunin didn't take much time to react and soon his own series of hand seals were complete as well, before he gently placed both of his hands on the moist earth beneath his feet.

**"Suiton! Suijinheki!!!"**

Just then, all of the water in the surrounding soil darted out of their entrapment, before condensing and collecting in the air around Iruka's position. After clinging together in a stream of life giving liquid, it then formed a protective shell around the chunin, encircling him like a whirlpool as the now reddened flames of his adversary consumed the earth around him.

Kyoui watched in startled amusement as a plume of steam billowed off the forest floor, signifying the embrace of water and fire as they clashed in a battle for supremacy, before he finally landed on the ground once more. The man simply continued to stare in uneasy tension as the smog finally cleared from his gaze, revealing the familiar sphere of water as it continued to encircle its master.

_'So, he's the suiton user. I didn't expect a chunin to be so adept at chakra nature manipulation, especially not an academy teacher.'_ The man's thoughts were quickly stumped, however, when another voice called out, drowned out by the streaming moisture that reamed through the air.

**"Suiton! Suishouha!!!"**

Just then, the vortex of water that orbed on the forest floor suddenly erupted skywards, rising into the air in a spinning vortex akin to that of a tornado's, before gushing out in an explosive wave. Kyoui quickly jumped into the air just as the wall of water swallowed the ground beneath his feet, but his moment of hard earned relief was short live. The man barely turned around in time to block a sharp kick directed to his head, before catching another fist hurtling straight towards his face.

Looking past the familiar limbs that struck out at him, Kyoui could easily make out the two rage consumed eyes of their owner staring back at him as the two men became deadlocked mid air, floating precariously above the forest floor in a suspended animation.

"You're not bad!" Kyoui snickered, as the two spun down towards the ground, locked in one anothers' grips as neither one dared to surrender their gains.

"But, you're still going to lose regardless. You haven't been paying enough attention to this battle." Iruka could only gape in surprise as his opponent then slowly began to dissolve into mud, revealing the scant edges of explosive tags as they began to protrude from the artificial body that held him in its grips.

_'Damn it, he was the one using the mud clones when we were first attacked...'_

The last thing the chunin saw as he desperately tried to free himself from the iron grasp that now held him from escaping was the cruel grin etched onto the now crumbling face, before a sickening voice rung throughout the air.

"You can't escape now! It's time for you to join your monster in hell!!!!"

The artificial copy then exploded in a shower of mud and debris, consuming both clone and chunin in it's vengeful blast of destruction and littering the ground with falling remains. A few moments later, Kyoui appeared out from the nearby trees and grinned madly, admiring his handiwork as he eyed out the scattered remains of his opponent.

"Such a waist. He could have lasted longer if he realized that I switched with a mud clone while I was hidden behind by my katon jutsu. Now it's time to get out of here before the rest realize what's happened. There's no need to kill the target anymore, seeing as how his chances of surviving my poison are next to nothing this far from any hospital."

Kyoui was just about to leave the area with a smug satisfaction etched onto his features, when a small motion suddenly caught the corner of his eye causing him to falter in his steps. The last remains of his opponent that had previously scattered across the earth around him were no sooner melting away again, dissolving into small puddles of water before seeping into the muddy forest floor.

_'Shit!!! It was a Mizu Bunshin!!!'_

**"Maybe you should have paid more attention!!!"** The jounin turned to the source of the voice that had called out to him, only to be greeted by the unnerving sight of a hardened fist approaching his gaze, before hitting him square in the face.

The resounding crack that echoed throughout the air was almost startling to hear and soon afterwards, Kyoui found himself sailing through the air, before landing in a heap in the mud.

The disgruntled shinobi slowly picked his body up off the floor moments later, wiping the blood that now dripped from the corner of his lips before looking up to see Iruka glaring remorselessly in his direction.

"How... how can this be happening? How can a chunin, an academy teacher no less, match me in battle?" Iruka simply shrugged off the shallow sneers directed towards him, before settling back into a more eased standing position, displaying an overwhelming confidence in his victory.

The once numerous sounds of battle that echoed in the distance were now dying down altogether, signifying that the fighting had now neared its end. The scarred chunin simply released a wavering breath, one that easily betrayed his own disdain and his overwhelming weariness in light of the events that had recently transpired.

"It's over." He finally announced, causing the man before him to sneer coldly.

"This battle was over the moment you became overconfident and underestimated your opponents. I could tell that your chakra was already near exhausted before we even began fighting, no doubt a result of your flashy displays in your attempts to end innocent lives. Just because I'm a chunin, doesn't mean that I am weak, because I fight for something more than my own selfish desires. I made a promise to someone important to me and now I am going to keep that promise by putting an end to your madness once and for all."

Kyoui simply growled at the bold proclamation set out before him, doing little to hide his distaste or the hatred that bore from his gaze. The man slowly pushed himself upright once more before spitting a large glob of blood out from his mouth, clearing his throat to speak.

"You think you've won this battle, but I am not ready to give in just yet. You see, there is still one little trump card hiding up my sleeve and I intend to cash in on my previously ascertained investment."

With that, the jounin quickly turned on his heels and disappeared into the trees, leaving Iruka behind to follow in his wake. The chunin gave chase immediately and soon found himself pushing through the dense undergrowth that made up the forest floor.

Iruka could no longer see the presence of his opponent in front of him, his vision now being marred by the numerous plants that now fell around him. Only the heavy shuffling of feet smearing into mud as well as the heavy breathing of his prey directed his path now. He could also hear the remnant sounds of battle growing louder, indicating the fact that they were now heading back towards where the others were fighting.

_'Wait, why would he want to go running back into even more danger? Unless...'_ It as then that a startling realization hit the chunin square in the heart, causing it to tighten unnervingly as his thoughts dripped from his lips.

**"Shit, he's after Naruto!!!"**

Iruka quickly moved to redouble his efforts, pushing through the trees with a newfound determination. Finally, he managed to burst out from the trees and back into the clearing that held his son, only to be greeted by a plume of white cloud, no doubt the result of a smoke tag being detonated in the area.

**"Naruto!!!!"**

A shrill scream resounded throughout the air only moments later, causing the man's heart to jump into his throat. He recognized the voice as none other than Hinata's and he already knew what was happening.

Moment's later, the smog cleared, revealing the still forms of numerous shinobi as they dotted around the clearing. Iruka's eyes were instinctively drawn to its centre, only to widen in fear at the sight that met his gaze.

"You see, I told you I wouldn't lose. After all, now I have my little trump card right in my grasp."

There standing in-between the shinobi scattered and disorientated shinobi in the area was a very smug looking Kyoui, holding a battered Naruto up to his feet in front of him. The jounin's arm was gripped firmly around the boy's chest, holding him upright, while the other held a kunai threateningly towards the edge of his throat.

"Looks like I'm the one giving the orders now!" The man then pushed the kunai even further against Naruto's neck, eliciting a small cut along its base and causing the boy to whimper slightly in both pain and fear.

"Nggghhhh!"

**"Naruto!!! Let go of him you bastard!!!!"** Iruka quickly moved to dart towards his son, but a quick hand pulled down on his shoulder, bringing his feet back to the ground and causing him to look to his side, leading his panicked gaze towards Shikaku's eyes.

"Don't do it. If you rush in now, Naruto will only end up getting hurt. I'm sorry, but we were caught off guard and he managed to capture him in the confusion. Unfortunately, he has the upper hand and we have to follow his rules now."

Iruka simply frowned in despair, before returning his gaze back towards his son. He could easily see that Naruto was exhausted, in fact, the boy could hardly even keep his eyes open at all. The only reason he hadn't already collapsed to the floor was because of the threatening figure that now held him captive in its grasp. The chunin could also see the blood still dripping from his exposed wound and knew that he had lost far too much of the life-giving crimson liquid for comfort.

The remaining Konoha nins in the area soon fell in around the scarred chunin, many of them moving to check on their own children, while Itachi moved in next to Iruka and Shikaku as if to take point by their sides. Hiashi quickly made his way up to a very traumatized Hinata, who was now holding an equally panicked Ryuukimi in her arms, but was surprised when she inched away from his touch.

Kyoui simply continued to watch as the scene took place before him, his grip around his prize tightening even more as his gaze shifted over to the older Uchiha in front of him, who had since began moving closer to them, while his surviving men took ranks around his position.

"Alright, that's close enough Uchiha, I know all about your clan and that accursed Sharingan and I will not be a victim of your genjutsu. If I so much as see even a slight glint of red in those pupils of yours, this boy will die right here." Itachi simply narrowed his eyes at those words, seemingly annoyed by the interjection, before taking another step back again.

Kyoui then turned his attention to Choza, whose massive form was still guarding the kids from harm. "And as for you tubby, I think it's time to size down a tad. I wouldn't want you to get any ideas either."

The said jounin simply scowled in disapproval in light of the mocking taunts directed towards him, but still managed to keep his temper intact regardless. Soon the man was back to his original height, standing on the forest floor with a very relieved Chouji running up to greet him. The brief hug that the two shared was the only relief shown in an otherwise overwhelmingly tense situation.

"Ah, that's much better, now my men and I will be taking our leave and I'll be taking my prize with me. Don't even bother chasing me, because if you do, this boy will die." At that, Kyoui then began to back away into the trees, still holding the panic-stricken boy in his arms like a lifeline.

Naruto's eyes began to waver in panic as he was slowly dragged away from the distressed figure of his father and his breathing had once again picked up into a frenzy. The boy's futile attempts to struggle were only met in vain, his body being too weak to even pose any hindrance whatsoever.

"No... dad... don't let him take me! Please..."

Iruka continued to watch with a heavy heart as his son was dragged into the trees and out of his sight, with only the boy's panicked, tear strewn eyes to meet his gaze and a hand on his shoulder to halt his advance. He knew there wasn't anything he could do and it tore him apart to see such fear in the eyes of someone so young.

"Naruto..."

Once the shinboi were finally gone from view, Iruka felt his legs begin to shake violently, as if willing him to give chase, but instead the tight squeeze on his shoulder brought his gaze around to Shikaku, who only nodded reassuringly."

"Don't panic, as long as he knows we are after him, he won't kill Naruto. He knows that would be a grave mistake on his part and he needs the boy as a form of leverage, so your son should be safe for now. Just give it a few minutes and then we'll begin our pursuit." The chunin simply nodded his head, for a lack of any better response, before turning his gaze forward again.

**"No, that isn't right!!!"** Both men were quickly startled from their thoughts and planning as a young voice called out to them in protest, before turning to see Hinata approaching them with a battered Ryuukimi in her arms.

"You can't let them go!!! Naruto's been poisoned!!! If he doesn't get help, he's going to die anyway! That man knew he was going to die, that's why he won't kill Naruto himself." Iruka simply jumped at that, before turning to face Shikaku, noticing that the man had a similar expression on his face to the one he no doubt bore as well.

"I'm going after them now. The rest can stay here and look after the kids, but I won't let them get away with my son." Shikaku didn't even bother to protest and simply nodded in approval. He knew there was no stopping the man, after all he would have done the same in any case.

"Alright, I'll go with you, after all, you may need some assistance." With that, the two men darted off into the trees, immediately giving chase to find the young boy that had been snatched away from them. Hinata moved to follow them, but was quickly stopped by an unusually gentle hand falling on her shoulders.

The girl turned around to look up at the tall figure of her father, who simply continued to stare into the distance, never once making eye contact with the girl beneath his grasp. It was almost as though he were... afraid to look into her eyes, to see her pain and fear and the tears that threatened to fall at any moment.

"Don't go, they will handle this themselves. You are injured and in no condition to save your friend and you will only get in the way." Hinata simply turned her gaze back towards where the men had disappeared before letting out a deep sigh. The tears that began to stream down her face and onto the dragon in her arms only served to provide what little comfort they could.

_'I... I should have protected him. I should have...'_

The Hyuuga's thoughts were quickly cut off as an arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders, before pulling her body up against that of her father's. The girl simply froze in her feat, completely stunned by the sudden motion, before finally relaxing again.

Hinata simply continued to cry in the arms of her father, watching... waiting in the hopes of her friend's return.

--

Naruto's eyes continued to haze in and out of darkness as his body dangled precariously in mid air, the arm around his chest still holding him firmly in its grasp as he sailed through the trees in his captor's possession. The boy's vision was now nothing more than a dwindling blur and it wouldn't be long before darkness consumed his gaze altogether.

He could feel the life slowly draining out of his body, feel the poison spreading like fire through his veins, but he knew there was nothing he could do now to stop it. Naruto could also feel the sharp sting of cruel emotions flowing into his heart from his captor's touch, but his body no longer had the strength to fight against it, allowing itself to be consumed altogether in pain and anguish as his soul was continually tormented.

The boy's body simply fell limp in the arms of his jounin captor, no longer having the power to even writhe in agony, while his eyes began to fade into darkness. The trees and branches that passed below slowly blotted out into shadowy figures, while his tears sparkled down to the forest floor below.

_'At least... at least the others are safe. That is all that's important. At least dad is still alright as well...'_

The sharp crack of snapping wood jarred the boy's thoughts from his mind as they landed on the branch of a tree before coming to a halt altogether. Naruto took the offered opportunity to allow his gaze to wander the area, only to see the last surviving mercenaries fall in around them.

He didn't know how long they had been traveling for, but he knew they were probably far from the other parents and children by now. He also knew that he would probably not last too much longer, so there was little hope of being rescued now.

_'Maybe, if I pass out now, I won't have to feel any more pain...'_

"Alright, I think that's far enough for now." Naruto propped up as Kyoui's voice rang throughout the air, drawing the attention of his men.

"We'll take a five minute breather and then head out once more." The man then turned his gaze down to the boy raised up in his arms, allowing a satisfied sneer to etch onto his features as he did so.

"Well, it looks like you got your wish after all. Your friends will live while you die in my arms, but at least I got to savor the satisfaction of seeing the life and hope drain from you eyes."

Naruto moved his mouth to speak in response, but only a scratching rasp escaped his lips. The boy gave up after a few failed attempts and simply flopped back down again. He was just about to lose all hope altogether, when a sharp cry suddenly alerted his attention.

**"Shit!!! What the hell is this thing!!!!!"**

The boy quickly turned his gaze up towards the source of panic, only to see large tendrils begin shooting out from the nearby trees, ensnaring the surrounding shinobi in an inescapable snare. He immediately felt a jolting movement erupt throughout his body as Kyoui jumped away from the area, carrying him across the air before landing on a nearby branch. He could still make out the panicked attempts to escape from nearby, as the panicked shinobi continued struggling against a jutsu he recognized all to well.

_'It... can't be...'_

Soon afterwards, a familiar voice sounded throughout the air, confirming the boy's suspicions while bringing new hope into his heart.

**"Magen! Jubaku Satsu!!!"**

At that, the tendrils constricted against their prey, pulling them in a smothering embrace as they were pressed up against the wooden surfaces that had since become the instruments of their deaths. The shimmering glints of kunai soon appeared into view at each victim's neck, before plunging into their prey with remorseless tenacity.

Naruto quickly turned his gaze away from the carnage that ensued as the shinobi's cries echoed throughout the air, before finally falling silent once more. He then opened them again to reveal nothing but the motionless bodies that were now sprawled across the forest floor. He didn't need his Tenraigan to know what had happened or to decipher their condition.

Kyoui immediately jumped into action soon afterwards, pulling a kunai from his holster before lifting Naruto's head up into the air, exposing his neck to the sharp blade that threatened to steal away his life. The boy simply whimpered as he felt the cool, metal kiss of death touching against his skin, once again extracting blood as it slipped across its surface.

"Alright, whoever you are, come out and show yourself right now or this boy dies!!! I thought I made it clear that pursuing me would result in his immediate death!!!"

The jounin was surprised, however, when he felt a hand suddenly gripping around his wrist, immediately pulling his hand and his weapon out of reach of Naruto's neck. Kyoui turned his gaze towards the source of resistance, only to see the spinning red wheel of Kakashi's Sharingan staring back at him with what could only be described as a very disgruntled expression.

"No-one is going to be killing Naruto-kun, at least not while we have anything to say about it." The copy ninja then spun around on his feet, before delivering a high back kick into the jounin's head, slamming him across the air and causing him to release his young captive from his grip.

Naruto's body just slumped down in his weakened state, before falling from the tree and down towards the ground beneath them. A quickly moving figure instantly caught him from his fall, blurring across the air in a startling dash before landing with the limp body cradled in its arms.

Panicked, gray-brown eyes immediately caught the boy's startled gaze as he looked up to his rescuer, only to see the familiar purple glint in Anko's hair.

"Hey there little buddy, are you alright?"

Naruto simply blinked in both shock and relief as the gentle voice addressed him in a near whisper, while an equally gentle hand ran through his mottled, dirty hair, caressing him in a soothing comfort and causing him to finally relax into his rescuer's arms.

The boy's eyes began to fill with tears as he was embraced by the warm emotions that flowed through Anko's touch before his right hand instinctively moved to grab onto her coat, squeezing it and holding onto it like a lifeline. He finally felt safe again, he finally felt protected and the overwhelming strain on his heart was finally released in a sudden flood of emotions.

Naruto then opened his quivering mouth to speak, but his words were barely coherent anymore. Instead, only the muffled strains of his desperate attempts at talking left his lips in a tired whisper.

"A... Anko... nee-chan..." The said jounin simply placed her hand on top of the boy's lips, silencing his efforts to talk before brushing her fingers into his hair once more.

"Ssshhhhh, don't try to speak yet. It's alright now, we're here. No-one is going to hurt you anymore so just relax. You need to try and calm down." Anko got a small, shaky nod in response, before Naruto snuggled his head up against the jounin's stomach, content to simply bathe in the comfort and relief offered to him through her touch.

A gentle smile slowly etched itself onto the woman's features as she continued to gently caress the boy in her arms, but Naruto knew it only served to provide him comfort, because the emotions he felt coming from her touch easily betrayed her distress mixed in with the warmth she provided him.

After a few moments of relief, Kurenai finally appeared out of thin air next to them, emerging from the genjutsu she had just used to dispose of her prey, before kneeling down besides her fellow kunoichi. She quickly took the offered opportunity to check on Naruto's condition, while the boy continued to cling to Anko's side, before dressing the wound on his shoulder as best as she could manage.

"It looks like he's received a heavy wound to his shoulder, and it appears to exit on the other side of his back as well. He's also lost a lot of blood and he has numerous cut and burn marks. I'm afraid his body may go into shock soon if we aren't careful."

The red-eyed jounin then placed a hand on Naruto's forehead, cringing slightly at the burning heat she felt emanating from his touch. The young boy responded by turning to face her with heavy eyes, at which she smiled in return for his efforts.

"Hey there kiddo, how are you doing?" Naruto just smiled briefly in return, before letting go of Anko's coat and reaching out to hold the hand offered to him. Kurenai could tell that it was difficult for him to speak, so he was allowing his emotions to give his otherwise silent response.

The jounin frowned, however, when she noticed just how weak he felt to the touch, in fact she could hardly make out the feelings that flowed into her and his hand was cold as well. Kurenai then lifted her other hand and wiped away the tears from the side of his cheek, no doubt a sign of his exhaustion and shock following what had just happened.

It was only a moment later when Kakashi finally landed next to them as well, with all three guarding around the boy defensively. Not to far from them, Kyoui slowly pushed himself up from the ground where he had landed from the copy ninja's blow, before sneering at the sight that met his gaze as he watched the source of his hatred and anger being treated with so much kindness and love. His heart began to burn with even more rage at the mere sight of it and his eyes were now shot red with a blinding lust to kill.

"Damn it, damn it, **DAMN IT!!!** Why don't you people see what he is?!?!?!?! Why do you coddle him like a child!?!?!?!?! **HE'S NOTHING MORE THAN A MONSTER!!!!!!"**

The jounin then sprinted forward in a mad dash to attack, the last vestiges of his sanity now disappearing from his mind altogether. Kurenai and Kakashi immediately darted to their feet and formed a defensive line in front of Anko and Naruto, while Kyoui continued on his suicidal attack.

**"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!!! I'LL KILL EVERY SINGLE LAST DAMNED ONE OF YOU!!!!!!!"**

The jounin's advance, however, was abruptly halted as a large figure suddenly landed in his path, before delivering a blue sphere of spinning chakra straight into the man's chest.

**"RASENGAN!!!!"**

The last thing Kyoui saw as he looked up towards the instigator of his demise was Jiraiya's stern, remorseless expression, before being carried away in a maelstrom of destruction. The jounin landed in a motionless heap a good few meters away, the life now vacant from his eeringly still form.

"That is it for you I'm afraid." Jiraiya mumbled dishearteningly. "In the end, your own madness and inability to see the simple truth was your downfall. If only you could have let go of your hatred and simply opened your eyes."

The sannin's words of disdain were immediately cut short as a cry of pain echoed throughout the air, turning his gaze towards Anko's position as she continued to hold a squirming Naruto in her arms.

"Aaaaggggghhhhh!!!!!"

Jiraiya immediately took action at that, running straight towards the source of the scream, before landing next to the purple haired jounin and her blond charge. Anko's eyes immediately lifted to meet his gaze as he knelt down in front of her, filled with a reasonable degree of panic and fear unbefitting of her personality.

"I... I don't know what's happening to him! I can't stop it!" Jiraiya tore his gaze away from that of Anko's own panic stricken eyes to check on Naruto, only to see the faint trails of golden markings begin to spread across his chest and down his arms, running along his entire body and eventually covering his legs and his face as well.

"What... are these markings?" He mumbled to himself, his eyes wide with shock. The markings seemed to cause Naruto some degree of pain, almost as though it were burning into his flesh as they trailed along his skin.

"We've seen them before..." Kurenai interceded. "After you gave him that scroll at the hospital, he received those very same markings when he unlocked it the same day. I'm not sure what they are, but they disappeared after a while and I haven't seen them since then."

Jiraiya nodded his head solemnly, while his mind got to work trying to decipher what meaning the intricate patterns contained or why they had suddenly appeared.

_'They appear to be seals of some kind, but I've never seen ones so complex before, especially considering the fact that they cover his entire body from head to toe. I wonder how long he's had them for...'_

The sannin's thoughts were interrupted when two figures suddenly came bursting through the trees towards them. Everyone's gaze quickly raised to greet the new arrivals, only to see Iruka and Shikaku landing on the scene. The scarred chunin immediately caught sight of his son squirming in the arms of Anko, as well as Kyoui's motionless body lying nearby, and nearly exploded with relief on the spot.

**"Naruto!!!!"** Iruka quickly shot passed his jounin companion and knelt down beside his son shortly afterwards, with Jiraiya making space for the chunin's arrival and standing to the side.

"Naruto, are you alright...?" The said boy shifted his gaze upwards to see the brown haired figure staring back at him with a concerned expression, blue eyes now wavering in the pain and darkness that tried to consume them. Even still, despite that, Naruto knew all to well who it was that had spoken. The boy lifted his hand shakily and reached out for the blurring figure whose gentle voice had called out to him, desperately trying to grasp it and hold on to it.

"D... dad..." Iruka quickly caught the small hand in his own as it fell from the boy's weakness, before squeezing it gently in an effort to provide what support it could. The chunin had noticed the markings covering his son's body, but ignored them for the time being, instead opting to comfort his son in any way he could.

"It's alright now, dad's here, I won't let go. You're safe now..." At that, the boy's eyes began to cloud up once more and his body began to tremble in Anko's arms. The jounin continued to watch on with a panicked expression as the boy's face cringed in tension, before Iruka spoke once more to ease him.

"Naruto, it's alright, you don't have to be brave for me. I know this must have been very rough for you, so just let it all out. If you bottle it up, it'll just get worse." At that the tears began to fall once more, and Naruto squirmed in Anko's arms to move towards his father. Iruka quickly leaned forward to meet him and was soon holding him in a close embrace, with the boy's head nestled in his stomach as he continued to sob in relief.

"D... d... dad..." Iruka simply continued to hold his son closely as his tears of relief and exhaustion continued to fall.

The chunin knew that the boy was only crying from shock, having obviously been traumatized by his entire ordeal. It was only natural for a ten-year-old to react that way, especially after being separated from his father for so long while being hunted like an animal by a madman and then being held hostage with a kunai to his throat, threatening to take his life at a mere whim.

It was bad enough that he was so young, to have to endure such an overwhelmingly stressful ordeal, but to make matters worse, he was also still recovering from a life of traumatic abuse as well. It was simply too much for the boy to handle alone and both the physical and emotional exhaustion had now set in completely.

Now that it was all finally over, Naruto couldn't help the release of tension and anxiety through the crystalline liquid that ran down his face as he finally bathed in the warm emotions of his father's touch. Feelings he had been hoping for and longing to find again and ones he had finally embraced as he was held closely in the man's arms. It was all he needed, just to be held in his father's arms while being comforted in his moment of pain and weakness.

It was something all kind parents would offer their children in times of need and Iruka would always be there to wipe away the tears for his own son's eyes as well. After a few more moments had passed, the chunin finally lifted Naruto up into the air and stood to his feet, watching as the glimmering drops of salty water continued to cling to the boy's cheeks as it nestled in his own clothes.

"Alright, I think we need to get you out of here and back home. We still need to take care of your wounds and this poison. What do you say kiddo?"

Naruto just nodded his head weakly, before grabbing onto Iruka's vest and pulling himself closer to the man's hold, with the evidence of his exhaustion now drying away as relief finally washed over him. The boy buried his head into the man's chest and then closed his eyes gently, as if to allow himself to finally rest and be at ease. Once Iruka could feel his emotions begin to calm down, the chunin then turned to face his companions as they continued to watch closely, noting the pained look on all of their expressions.

"I guess the Hokage got my message then, if you are all here. You couldn't have come at a better time and I can't thank you enough for your help."

Everyone simply nodded at the gesture of gratitude on Iruka's part, although it wasn't necessary in any regard. The chunin, however, didn't miss the curious glance coming from Shikaku and he knew that it probably had something to do with the markings on Naruto's body. That would have to be dealt with later and with a great deal of care as well. Iruka shrugged off those thoughts for the time being before speaking once more.

"I... I don't know how we are going to go from here. Naruto has been poisoned by the enemy's weapon and it has already spread throughout his body. He may not even have that long..." Iruka's voice trailed off to a near whisper at the end, as if he were too afraid if his own son hearing of his predicament.

Although it pained him to admit, he knew there was very little chance of his son surviving longer than a few minutes at his current rate of deterioration and he was afraid that his emotions had already betrayed those fears to the boy in his arms. Anko slowly approached the two and placed her hand on Naruto's arm, eliciting a brief flinch as her cool touch tickled against his burning skin.

"What about these markings on his body? What are they exactly? Will they hurt him?" Iruka just let out a deep sigh, before turning his gaze back over Naruto's battered form. He couldn't help but cringe at the wounds covering the boy's body, now seeing them up close, but he quickly pushed away those feelings to deal with later, instead opting to answer Anko's question.

"Apparently they are unique seals that have been given to him as a holder of his bloodline. They only react to his life force, so they're probably appearing because of how weakened he currently is. It is probably a defense mechanism, an effort to protect his body from the poison that is spreading through him, although I think it is already too late to stop it now."

Anko simply nodded her head in understanding, before raising both of her hands up into a single seal, molding her chakra as she did so. She then extended her right hand over Naruto's body and spoke in a near whisper.

"Hey little buddy, this is going to hurt a bit. Do you think you can be brave for me, just for a few seconds?" Naruto peered out from his shelter in the form of Iruka's jacket, before nodding his head in approval. Anko smiled reassuringly in response, before lifting her other free hand into another sign.

"Alright, this will be over in a few seconds, so just hold on for a little while. **Ninpo! Doku Tekishutsu no Jutsu!"**

At that moment, four slender, light-grey snakes emerged from Anko's sleeves, before making their way over to Naruto's body. The serpents then proceeded to encircle the boy's frame, while positioning themselves around strategic locations, before opening their mouths and baring small, sharp fangs.

Moments later, the serpents sank their teeth into Naruto's flesh in a sudden, jolting motion, causing him to whimper slightly in pain as their needle-like teeth pierced into his skin. Iruka could make out the small trails of a foreign substance entering the boy's veins soon afterwards, before disappearing altogether as it spread throughout the rest of his body. After a few brief moments, the snakes then released their hold and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving only small pin-like parks remaining behind.

"That was jutsu created to help neutralize most kinds of poison by matching and countering it with another venom of equal strength, in the same way one would create backfire to choke out a forest inferno." Anko explained, putting Iruka's tension at ease.

"It uses a unique venom created by certain species of snakes that acts to help counter and nullify the damaging effects of other toxins, while extending the life of their victims. At the same time, the venom isn't harmful to living tissue, so it won't cause Naruto any further damage. It won't cure him altogether and it will probably only buy him about an hour or so at the most, but at least it gives us some form of hope."

Iruka bowed his head in gratitude as Naruto closed his eyes once more, being given some relief from his pain. "Thank you, but I still don't know how we are going to make it back to Konoha in an hour and his blood-loss may be a more immediate threat now."

"I think I may have the solution to that problem..." Everyone turned their gaze over to Jiraiya as he spoke up in interruption. "I could get him back to Konoha quickly by using a frog summon, but it means leaving everyone else behind for the time being."

"That should be fine..." Shikaku interceded, finally speaking up after having remained silent the whole time.

"The other children aren't as badly injured, barring some broken limbs from the Inuzuka kid and the fractured ribs that the Hyuuga girl sustained, so we can make our way back with them and ensure their safety along the way. It will take about three days to get back if we take the quickest route home, but none of them are in critical condition or in desperate need of immediate medical attention, so it should be manageable."

Iruka agreed with the plan with an overwhelming sense of desperation, although it was no surprise to anyone listening. "Alright, that's settled then, but..." The chunin then turned his gaze back to the sannin once more, his face stern with the strong will hidden deep within his gaze.

"... but I want to go back with my son as well. I can't leave him, especially not now, because I may not... it may be the last time... and he needs me by his side now more than ever. I don't want him to be alone without his father by his side." Jiraiya just nodded his head in understanding, knowing full well the fears that gripped Iruka's heart.

"Alright, but I must warn you, this is going to be a bumpy ride and you'll need to have a strong stomach if you are to endure it. First, however, I think we should check back with the others and let them know what we are doing. At the same time, I think we should try to hide these markings on Naruto as well. We wouldn't want to create a scene when we get back, after all."

With that, Kurenai cast a small genjutsu to hide the patterns running over Naruto's body. As long as no-one dispelled it or used a doujutsu to reveal its secrets, they would be completely unnoticeable and she knew that those were unlikely situations unless someone had a deliberate reason to suspect that something was hidden.

Once that was done, the small group then made their way back to the clearing that held the rest of the children and their guardians with the utmost haste, knowing that the life of a young soul was hanging precariously in the balance.

--

Hinata continued to stand at the edge of the clearing that held the small group of reunited parents and children, listening as warm greetings and happy reunions were shared between the long separated families. Many tears of both relief and joy were shared between the adults and their miniature counterparts, but not all present were happy in the light of such a reunion.

The young Hyuuga heiress was still standing their in complete silence, waiting for the hopeful return of her closest friend, while Ryuukimi paced at her side, the dragon having since taken up a position on the forest floor as his restless anxiety got the better of him. The two youngsters continued to search the trees with hopeful eyes while Hiashi stood nearby, watching over them like hawk.

After a few moments, Tsume approached them with a very irate Kiba in her arms, the boy squirming in protest as his mother continued to make her way across the forest floor with her new 'patient' being carried like a toddler. Akamaru had since taken up a comfortable position on the boy's chest and was guarding him with an amusing tenacity.

"Com' on mom!" The boy protested angrily. "I'm not a baby anymore and I don't need you to carry me like one! So can you please put me down now?" The jounin simply shook her head as she was continually reprimanded by her son, before finally speaking up in response."

"Look here, little mister! You can't even stand, much less walk with that leg of yours, and your arm is broken as well, so just shut up and take it like the man you claim to be." The said boy simply pouted in compete rebellion at that and he could swear that he heard a jovial snicker coming from nearby. The look on Kuromaru's face easily betrayed him as the perpetrator of such a humored response and it only caused the boy's scowl to deepen even more.

"Yeah, yeah... laugh it up while you can, fuzz-ball. One day I'm going to leave a mother of a stink-bomb in your kennel and then we'll see who's laughing."

The larger ninken visibly cringed at the mere thought of it, having a sense of smell far superior to most other animals or humans, but he never had the chance to respond as Tsume finally arrived at her destination. The jounin soon settled beside Hiashi, taking in the same view as the Hyuuga clan-head, while Kiba fell silent in the suddenly depressing change of atmosphere.

"So, they still haven't returned yet?" Hiashi simply shook his head at the older Inuzuka's query, before speaking up in response.

"My daughter has not moved since they left. Her concern is touching but I fear for her well-being if she continues to stress herself beyond her capacity to handle. She ignores her injuries for the sake of a friend, but she may end up hurting herself even more." Kiba, who had since gone quiet, looked up to his mother with a heavy expression, doing little to hide his unease or his obvious pain.

"Mom... do you think Naruto will be alright?" Tsume visibly jumped at the imposed question, having seemingly been caught off guard.

Since when did her son care about the Kyuubi boy...?

"I... I don't know." She finally responded, although her unease was clearly evident in her voice. "We'll just have to wait and see..." Kiba simply shifted his gaze forward again, sharing in the view of his companions while waiting for the return of the young blond that had since become his friend.

"I hope he's alright. He's been hurt enough trying to save the rest of us and I don't want to see something bad happen to him again..."

The uneasy silence that followed was only short lived as a small group of figures finally emerged from the trees, revealing the weary forms of Iruka and his companions as they made their way into the clearing.

Hinata's heart almost dropped into her stomach as her eyes fell onto the still form of her friend as he lay in the chunin's arms and soon she was sprinting across the muddy earth in an attempt to greet them, ignoring the overwhelming pain in her chest, with Ryuukimi trailing closely behind her. Even Kiba's body seemed to move unwillingly, as if attempting to follow them, but he quickly realized that his actions would only gain him a sharp reprimand, so instead he opted to watch from his mother's arms.

**"Naruto!!!"** Soon both youngsters were right on top of them trying to get a better look at their returned friend, while Naruto himself opened a groggy eye to greet them.

The small blue iris quickly glanced over them before a small grin appeared on the boy's face, no doubt an effort on his part to keep them from worrying too much about him. He then closed his eye again and writhed slightly, doing his best to hide his pain from the prying eyes that searched over his body.

"We need to get him back to Konoha as soon as possible." Iruka finally interrupted, gaining both of the visiting youngsters' attention. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to say your goodbyes for now. I promise you'll get to see him as soon as you get back.

**"Wait, I wanna go with as well!!!"** Ryuukimi shouted in protest. Iruka just shook his head at the suggestion.

"I'm sorry, but this is the only way. Jiraiya-sama will be summoning one of his toads to carry us back and he's pushing his luck with just the three of us going as it is. If you dispel yourself, I promise I'll have Naruto summon you again as soon as he can so that you can see him."

The dragon was about to speak up in defiance again, but the look on Iruka's face immediately silenced any further protests. After all, as young a dragon as he may have been, Ryuuimi still understood the importance of what the man was saying. To act selfishly now was the worst thing he could do for Naruto's condition and he knew that he would have to make do with what he had been offered.

"Alright, but please, promise me you'll summon me as soon as you get back." Naruto then opened his eyes again and peered down to his small soulmate with a deep blue gaze. He could hardly see the dragon anymore in his failing vision and only the shimmering glow of his bronze wings gave his position away. The boy then mouthed an uneasy 'I promise' in response to Ryuukimi's request, causing the dragon to sigh in relief.

Naruto then turned his gaze back over to Hinata, whose tears still clung firmly to her face as she continued to stare in desperation. The girl just stepped forward towards her blond friend and placed her hand on his arm, being careful to avoid his injuries as she did so.

"You make sure you get better alright. I want to see my friend when I get back home. Please, just wait for me..."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding and then mouthed a silent 'thank you', before allowing his eyes to close once more. Iruka was somewhat surprised by the allowed contact, but brushed it off before turning to face Jiraiya, who had already since started forming hand seals in preparation for their departure.

**"Alright everyone stand back! Kuchiyose no Jutsu!!!"**

Those who were close-by immediately did as they were told and cleared the area, before watching as the sannin summoned a giant toad with a large shield adorning his back. The massive creature easily dwarfed most of the trees in the area and soon had the attention of everyone else present. Even the nearby students gawked in amazement as they continued to stare at the new arrival, who simply huffed in disdain at the sudden interuption.

The oversized amphibian quickly turned to look down at his summoner, before he caught a glimpse of Naruto's bloodied body held firmly in Iruka's arms. The look on Jiraiya's face spoke clearly of what was needed of him and the toad couldn't help the uneasy sigh that escaped his breath.

"I guess this means we have a little passenger today, Jiraiya-san. I should warn you, though, that I am pretty clumsy, so don't expect a gentle ride to wherever it is you need to go." Jiraiya just shook his head disdainfully, doing little to hide his obvious frustration.

"Actually, there are two passengers, but that is besides the point. I need you to take us to Konoha as soon as possible, otherwise this child here is going to die. Bunta would have my head if I summoned him right now, so you're the best alternative. Do you think you can handle that Gamaken-san?" The massive toad nodded his head uneasily.

"I will do my best, but remember that I've warned you already." Jiraiya, having secured his otherwise reluctant transport, then turned his attention back to Iruka and the small bundle held within his arms.

"Alright, I'll need to hold Naruto while we're traveling. I have more experience with riding toads and I will be able to support him properly without causing any more harm to his injuries. You'll need to use all of your efforts just to stay on Gamaken if this goes how I think it will."

With that, Iruka reluctantly handed over his charge to the sannin, watching as the older man handled his son with the utmost care in his movements and making sure he was comfortable in his grasp. Once that was done, the two mounted their ride and took a place on top of Gamaken's head. Naruto was now completely relaxed in Jiraiya's arms, although the sannin could not tell if he was sleeping or if the poison had weakened him to the point where he could no longer move.

Only the slight convulsions in his small body and his erratic breathing showed any signs that he was still alive, along with his occasional whimpers of pain as the poison continued to burn in his veins. The two men took a brief moment to look back down to the rest of the group that gathered below them.

"We'll see you back in Konoha!!!" Shikaku shouted at the top of his voice. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. Just make sure you report our status to the Hokage as soon as you get the chance! Maybe that way I will be able to avoid at least some fallout with my wife!"

Both of them confirmed the request and then bid their farewells to the rest of the shinobi. Kakashi, Kurenai and Anko all remained behind to see the rest of the students safely home and signaled their goodbyes as well.

Even Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru and Ino sent their regards in the forms of waving hands and watched as the massive creature took off into the sky, leaving them behind in its wake. After that, Ryuukimi dispelled himself in a plume of white smoke, hoping for the time that his friend would bring him back again. Once the three travelers were gone from view, Anko turned to Kakashi and Kurenai, before letting out a deep, exhausted sigh.

"So, can anyone tell me why he didn't summon that thing in the first place. It would have been a lot faster if we were riding that overgrown hopper to begin with." Kakashi just shook his head in disagreement.

"That wouldn't have worked. Firstly, we would have given our position away to our enemies, making it easier for them to evade our movements and avoid conflict. Secondly, it would have also been harder to find the students in the forest from that point of view and we would have missed a lot of ground in between each jump, not to mention the threat of accidently landing on someone."

Anko let out another deep breath of annoyance, having gotten the point. "Guess it makes sense..." She muttered disgustingly.

"Stupid, clumsy, overgrown amphibians. I just hope the gaki will be alright…"

--

The sweltering late afternoon sun was now making its way over to the horizon of the fire country once more, ending yet another day of long hardships and final retributions. Jiraiya and Iruka continued to peer out over the horizon as their ride brought them ever closer to their goal, with a precious cargo still lying in the sannin's arms.

Naruto's markings had since become visible again, with Kurenai's genjutsu failing due to the distance that now separated them, and were now shimmering warmly in the sunlight, their beauty standing in complete contrast to the other wounds and burn marks that covered the rest of his body.

The sannin that held the boy in his arms couldn't help his eyes wonder over their intricate designs while his thoughts continued to calculate their purpose. He would have to investigate them more thoroughly once they had returned to Konoha, but first they would have to see to Naruto's treatment.

"There it is... I can see it now..."

The toad sage looked up as he heard Iruka speak up beside him, only to see Konoha's walls hazing into view from the distance. They had been traveling for little more than twenty minutes, but the speed of their host had covered far greater a distance than any shinobi could dare hope to match in the span of hours.

"Good, we still have some time." Jiraiya sighed, somewhat relieved. "We should be able to make it to the hospital in the next few minutes and Anko's jutsu has brought us the necessary time for his treatment. Let's just hope that there is someone willing enough to help him..."

A quick shuffling in the aged man's arms, followed by a agonized groan, brought Jiraiya's attention back to the precious cargo that he carried, reminding him of the urgency of their haste and the desperation in their cause. Soon, two deep cerulean eyes were looking back up at him, but the way they searched for the man's face told the sannin that they could barely see him properly, if even at all.

"A... are we... almost home...?" The small weak voice that called out in a near whisper was barely audible at all, but Jiraiya still managed to make out the fragile words that addressed him. The sannin gave a short nod in response, even though his answer probably went unseen, before smiling softly in reassurance despite himself.

"Yeah kiddo, we're almost home." He mumbled softly. "Just rest you eyes for now, it will all be fine." After that, the two small eyes slowly shut away again, too exhausted to remain open any longer, and Jiraiya couldn't help but cringe at how sickly and pail the blond now appeared before his gaze.

The life he felt running through his hands was now diminishing precariously and it wouldn't be long now before it disappeared altogether, snuffed out before its time by the dangerous poison and threat of blood-loss that now clung so maliciously to its prey. Only the soft golden tinge of Naruto's markings brought any hopeful colour of life to his otherwise marred and battered appearance as it shimmered in the warm sunlight that bathed him in its comforting embrace.

Their only hope now lay within the very medical staff of Konoha's own hospital that had tried to harm the boy only days before and Jiraiya and Iruka could both only hope that a kind soul would offer their aid and save the precious life he carried.

_'Just hold on Naruto, it won't be long now. We're almost home...'_

--

**AN:** Alright, that is it for this week. I may not update as quickly as I used to for a while, or at least until I get back into the swing of things again, so don't be surprised if you don't see a weekly update for the next few chapters as I normally provide. I just need to get my head on straight. Maybe taking a break was a good thing after all.

I've also realized that I don't actually want to change anything in my story and I like the way I'm doing things, even if it seems a bit slow to some people. It is just the way my story is and I have my reasons for doing it, the main one being character development and deep psycological insight I like to give into my characters.

If you don't like it that way, then I apologize, but I can't please everyone. I will gladly accept any advice you can give me to manage time better (as this is one of my admitted weak points when it comes to writing) and I will make changes if they are valid, but I will not do anything for flamers, so don't think that you can push me into a direction I don't want to go just by complaining. You will just be ignored.

I'd also just like to say thank you to everyone who has been supportive and who have helped me along my way. I appreciate your efforts, so this is all for you. I will see you all soon enough.

Oh yeah, I have a new poll up as well. This time the question is about which Doujutsu you would have if you could choose any. Please vote!!!

P.S. the time-skip will be coming now, so expect to see a graduation soon... ^ ^

**Notes:**

"Suiton! Suijinheki!" = Water Style! Water Encampment Wall!  
"Suiton! Suishouha!" = Water Style! Water Shockwave!  
"Katon! Karyuu Endan!" = Fire Style! Fire Dragon Flame Missile!  
"Ninpo! Doku Tekishutsu no Jutsu!" = Ninja Art! Poison Extraction Technique!  
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" = Summoning Technique!  
"Magen! Jubaku Satsu!" = Demonic Illusion! Tree Binding Death!  
"Mizu Bunshin" = Water Clone.

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD      
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	37. Chapter 37 Return to Home

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

**AN:** Hey everyone. Sorry for the very late update. Things have been moving slowly lately, VERY slowly, but I guess that happens from time to time. I have been very busy as well, so finding time to write has also been a bit more difficult.

Anyway, enough of that. Here's the next chapter.

--

**Chapter 37 - Return to Home**

"Whew! If I knew it would be this hot outside, I would have rather opted for something else other than guard duty today."

An annoyed sigh sputtered out of the mouth of a tired chunin while he turned to face his lazy companion as the youngster voiced out his protest of their current 'unfavorable' working conditions. The man couldn't help but shake his head dismally as the new recruit into the ranks of chunin continued to rant distastefully, before finally releasing an exasperated breath of annoyance.

"You know, this is a job, not a pastime. If you don't like it, then maybe you should have considered another career choice other than that of becoming a shinobi. We have a duty to protect Konoha and at this moment, that duty entails guarding this gate and making sure no-one threatens the safety of this village."

The young recruit simply slouched in his seat as the two continued to watch over the massive gates that gave entry into Konoha. The village had since grown into its usual midday rush of bustling stores and frantically shuffling feet as its people set about their daily work, but the streets around the entrance always remained quiet even during the most busy of times, mostly because there were fewer stalls that lined among its borders.

Of course, this meant that things often became very quiet for the guards watching over the entrance to the village, and for a young recruit, boredom was an enemy with no bounds and one far more persistent than any shinobi.

"Yeah, yeah, I know all that already!" The young man sighed again, doing little to hide his restlessness.

"It's just that, when I signed up to become a ninja I thought... I dunno, well I guess I just imagined that things would be more exciting. Watching over a giant wooden gate and waiting for nothing to happen all day long is just not what I had in mind."

The older man tried his best to hide his amused laughter, but even still a brief snicker escaped his lips, gaining him a scowl of disapproval from his young counterpart.

"Hehehe, I'm sorry, but its just that you sound so much like I once did when I was younger. Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that not everyone gets the excitement and adventure we are looking for. Some of us are blessed with missions that see us traveling the world and seeing the different countries, while others are stuck with guard duty for days on end. It is just the way life works, but don't stress about it too much. You'll get your chance, you just need to be a bit more patient."

Seeing the look of disappointment on the young man's face following his crushing blow of truth, the man leaned back into his chair and thought about what he could do or say to ease the situation. After all, he didn't feel like living with a sulking recruit for the next few days.

That would be worse than absolute silence…

"Well, if it makes you feel better, our job doesn't always lack excitement..." He teased, gaining the youngster's attention once more.

"Why, I heard that just the other day, two shinobi were found dead at the Eastern Gate. Apparently an intruder managed to infiltrate the village and they were his first victims."

The older chunin couldn't help but smile inwardly as his companion's expression quickly changed to a look of both excitement and fear mixed at the same time. The bait had landed its prey and he would definitely have fun with this one.

"R... really, they were found d-d... dead?"

"Yup, dead as door nails." The man replied nonchalantly, as if it were a daily occurrence that didn't bother him in the slightest.

"They say that there wasn't even a single wound on their body or a single drop of blood on the floor beneath them. It was as if their souls were sucked clean out of them, leaving nothing left but a lifeless corpse behind. Of course those are the rumors, but who knows, maybe we'll have just as much excitement over here someday."

"Yeah... maybe..." The recruit gulped nervously.

Of course, by now the young man's excitement had faded away altogether and the tension was clearly visible on his expression. The fresh chunin leaned back into his chair without a single word to follow, instead averting his attention back towards the colossal wooden gates that creaked and swayed in the soft breeze, as if searching for a hidden danger that may reveal itself at a moment's notice.

_'Ha, he fell for that like a ton of bricks! Talk about being careful of what you wish for. Maybe now he'll stop complaining and keep those eyes peeled, out of fear if not for any other reason. Peace at last...'_

The older man's thoughts, however, were very quickly squashed into dust when a large crash suddenly erupted from just outside the village gates, shaking the very walls of the booth around them and almost sending the two from their chairs. Both chunin immediately shot up from their sitting positions and ran out to see what the commotion was, only to notice the massive form of a large creature landing just along the dusty path that winded up to the village.

"W... what is that?!?!?!" The young recruit stammered in shock, before backing away from the massive beast. "It... It's a monster!!! We're being attacked!!!! AAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!"

With that, the older chunin could only watch as his younger counterpart quickly took flight, screaming frantically as he ran down the dusty village pathway and into the distance. He couldn't help but shake his head disappointingly at the blatant lack of bravery he was witnessing.

_'Man, he screams like a girl. Maybe I shouldn't have filled his head with all that nonsense about people having their souls ripped from their bodies...'_

The man then turned his attention back to the village gates, peering through them to see two figures leaping down from the top of the giant amphibian that now inhabited the pathway, before landing on the ground in front of it. He could see what looked like a small bundle in the arms of the taller figure, but his attention was quickly averted as the white haired man spoke to the larger creature that looked down to him.

"Alright that is far enough Gamaken, we'll take it from here. Thanks for the lift."

The massive toad nodded at the gesture of gratitude, before vanishing in a massive plume of smoke, covering the entire area in its blanket of thick dust. Once the white cloud of smog had cleared, the chunin could more clearly make out the features of the new arrivals as they turned to approach the village walls and he immediately recognize the toad legendary sannin that walked beside an almost equally recognizable Iruka. The man bowed respectfully as the two shinobi entered through the wooden gates and passed beside him, before speaking up to address them formally.

"Lord Jiraiya-sama, I welcome you back to Konoha, although I must admit I wasn't expecting your arrival today." He then turned his attention to the bundle in the man's arms, his eyes immediately being drawn to the locks of dirtied blond hair that met his gaze along with the bloodied body of their owner.

The golden trails of markings that could be seen shimmering through the blood and dirt only held the man's attention for a brief moment before his eyes fell onto the whiskered face that identified the subject of his curiosity. The toad sannin that stood before him simply sighed in despondence as he noticed the man's shift in attention, before explaining their situation as well as the current condition of his patient.

"Look, we're kinda in a hurry here, so I will have to fill out the arrival forms later. As you can see, I have a boy here who is in desperate need of medical attention, so I need to get to the hospital as soon as possible."

Jiraiya had hoped that the man would not have recognized the small figure in his arms, but the hesitant response he received dashed any hopes of a smooth transition and he knew things would only get harder for Naruto the more time they wasted.

"I am sorry, but it is against procedure to allow entry without proper documentation. I need to be sure that everything is in order before I can let you pass, even if it is an emergency."

There it was, the ignorance, the hatred, everything that worked to destroy the young life that fought so desperately against its cruelty and the threat that now sought to claim him. Jiraiya knew it was coming the moment he saw the look in the man's eyes, the same coldness that spoke of an inherent hatred that seemed to cling so desperately to the people of his own village.

It was all there, right in the very eyes of the chunin that now barred their advance, but it didn't make it an easier to swallow the cold truth that stood right in front of him. He had heard how hard it had been for Naruto from both Iruka and the Sandaime, but seeing the indifferent cruelty with his own two eyes, directed towards the boy he was supposed to protect and whose battered from he now held closely in his arms, made it that much more real and sickeningly palpable.

"You mean that you need to be sure that this boy doesn't make it to where he is going, am I right?" He finally responded, somewhat coldly.

The chunin quickly withdrew from his position beside the new arrivals as the toad sage released a large amount of killing intent, before shaking his head nervously in denial.

"N-n... no sir..." He stammered uneasily. "... that was not my intention at all, but if I don't follow procedure I could be removed from service. Our laws clearly state that anyone entering or exiting the village must show the relevant documentation. I will need to hold you for a few minutes until everything is in order and you have been cleared for entry."

Iruka simply huffed in complete frustration while Jiraiya growled in disapproval and the amount of killing intent released from both of them caused Naruto to shuffle slightly in discomfort. They didn't have time to waste at this point and the boy's condition was growing worse by the second.

"It disheartens me to think that procedure comes before the life of a child." The sannin sneered angrily, before stepping forward once more.

"If that is the case, then this world we live in has grown far darker than I could have imagined. Look, if you want to try and stop us, then go right ahead and test your luck, but I for one will not stand here and wait for this boy to die. I will take full responsibility for my actions and inform the Hokage of the situation personally, so as to not cause you any _'personal'_ problems, but if you try to get in my way I can't promise that you'll live to report for duty ever again."

With that, the two adults continued on their way, leaving the chunin gawking at their backs as they disappeared down the same streets that his companion had just recently taken to. He didn't even bother to stop them, because he knew that he would not be left standing after such an encounter with an angry sannin and he did not want to push his luck.

--

As Iruka and Jiraiya continued to make there way down the dusty paths in a desperate dash for Konoha's hospital, a sudden cry of pain brought both men to an immediate halt. Iruka quickly shot around to face the source of the anguished groan and approached Naruto carefully, watching as the boy began to writhe in Jiraiya's arms while the sannin himself continued to watch helplessly.

"Naruto, what's wrong?"

Naruto's two small blue eyes immediately popped open in response, as if to address the voice that called out to him, even though he could no longer see the face of its owner. The panic in those fear-filled eyes was almost too much for Iruka to bear, but what frightened him more was the way Naruto's body was beginning to convulse even more violently, while the boy strained a heavy cough.

"Dad... It... hurts... so much. I... can't breath..." Iruka tore his gaze away from his son and looked up to Jiraiya with a panicked expression, whose gaze had already risen up to meet him.

"I... I don't understand, I thought the jutsu Anko used would neutralize the affects of the poison for a while still. What's happening?"

The sannin simply allowed his eyes to falter, before looking back down to the boy in his arms as Naruto let out another pained cry. It hurt him to see the boy in so much agony.

"It's Naruto. His unusually high metabolism is increasing the rate at which the poison is affecting his cells. His airways are beginning to constrict as a symptom and his nervous system is already being attacked directly, which would explain the pain and the difficulty he is having breathing. We need to get moving before his organs begin to fail altogether."

Iruka simply nodded his head glumly, before the two made a sprint for the hospital again, both trying their best to ignore the sporadic groans coming from Naruto while focusing on their goal at hand.

It was only moments later when the two finally came bursting through the doors of the resident village hospital, although it felt like an eternity for both men. Once they were inside, Iruka rushed up to the reception desk, while Jiraiya stood back with their fragile cargo in hand.

"I have a boy who is in need of immediate medical attention here! Get a doctor right now!" Iruka ordered, doing little to hide the desperation in his voice.

The woman behind the desk simply looked over the chunin's shoulder, taking a quick glance at the patient in question and causing Iruka to swallow a heavy grunt, before looking back to the scarred man with a unsympathetic expression.

"I'm afraid all of our medical staff are currently preoccupied at this point in time, so if you'd please take a seat in the waiting area, I'll get to you as soon as a doctor becomes available."

Iruka narrowed his eyes dangerously at the disheartening show of remorselessness. This had happened to them before, the first two times they had brought Naruto into the hospital, and they were always made to wait longer than would normally be expected of any other patients, no doubt a result of the boy's status.

But this time was different, this time they didn't have a single moment to lose and this time Iruka's anger and frustration had gone far beyond its breaking point.

**"NO!!! I WILL NOT WAIT ANY MORE!!!"**

The man quickly brought his arm up into the air before a small blue glow began to radiate of the tip of his palm, as if water flowing from the base of his hands. Iruka then brought it down with all the fury that had embedded itself in his heart, completely demolishing the entire desk in a single blow and causing its shattered remains to burst across the room.

The resounding crash immediately drew the attention of everyone present and the woman behind the once solid piece of furniture quickly backed away from the newly formed destruction, before looking back up to the wrath filled eyes that continued to stare her down with all their new found malice.

"I am going through now to find a doctor myself, but if my son dies because of this, I swear to Kami I'm going to come back and kill you myself. Consider that a promise..." Iruka then turned on his heals and made his way down the hospital hallway while Jiraiya followed closely with Naruto in his arms.

--

"Someone, I need help!!!! This boy is injured and he needs attention!!!!"

As Iruka continued to search the hospital desperately for anyone to come to his aid, his cries for assistance continued to fall on deaf ears. Anyone he approached would either claim to be too busy to see to them, or they would simply deny being able to help altogether, claiming that there was nothing that could be done for Naruto's injuries.

Doctors and nurses both would all turn their backs away as the two approached them, none of them willing to help the boy whose life hung precariously in the balance, while Naruto's breaths began to shorten dangerously as his strength continued to slip away from his small broken body.

After a few more desperate and futile attempts, a frustrated and defeated Iruka finally slammed both of his balled fists into the side of the nearest wall, eliciting a heavy crunch as they sank into the concrete that withstood their anguished wrath.

"Why... why won't they help? Why can't I just save my son...?"

The man heard two heavy steps fall behind him soon afterwards and turned to see Jiraiya facing him with a solemn expression. The sannin motioned his head down towards the bundle he was carrying, before speaking in a soft, almost hopeless tone.

"He.... he won't last much longer. You need to be with him, for as long as you can..." Iruka then turned his gaze down to the boy bellow before creeping closer and placing his hand on Naruto's arm.

The tears began to stroll down his face as he felt the cool touch of Naruto's skin against his fingertips, before the boy shuffled under the soothing contact and the sudden spurt of emotions that came with it. Naruto didn't need to see to know who it was that had touched him and he couldn't help the frown that suddenly crept up into his dirtied, mottled face.

"D... dad, I'm sorry, I tried... to keep my... promise..."

Iruka placed his finger over Naruto's lips as the boy desperately tried to speak, silencing his efforts as they appeared in the form of strained whispers, before running his fingers through the blond's hair. It was all he could do to comfort him and it was enough to at least allow the boy some form of relief.

"Sssshhhhh... don't talk, everything is going to be fine. You did the best you could, so just relax and let us take care of you."

Naruto smiled weakly in response, before reaching out with his small hand and searching for that of his father's as best as he could. Iruka quickly grabbed it into his own and squeezed it tightly, watching with tear-filled eyes as Naruto's smile slowly faded away again, as if to confirm the hopelessness of his situation.

"It's alright, dad, y... you don't... have to.. lie to me, I already know. I'm just glad I... I got to see you again. I'm so... glad I got to feel you again. I... love you... so... so much."

"No, don't talk like that Naruto!" Iruka burst out in return. "Don't give up yet! Please... I can't... I'm not strong enough to lose you as well. I already lost everything else I loved. I'm just not strong enough...."

The chunin quickly looked up once more, searching desperately for any other glimmer of hope, but instead he only found the icy figures of the numerous backs that had turned to them, coldly denying them any chance of aid. Iruka clenched his teeth bitterly as his anger boiled up even more, threatening to give way at any moment now.

_'I'm going to kill them all. I swear to god I'll kill every single last damned one of them...'_

"I'll help..."

Iruka was quickly jolted from his deteriorating thoughts as a reluctant voice suddenly called out to them from a distance, alerting the attention of both sannin and chunin as they turned to face its owner. There, standing in the middle of the hallway, was a young man dressed in a typical doctor's uniform, with a white coat falling around his body and a stethoscope hanging around his neck. He was also holding what looked to be a pile of notes in his hand.

The somewhat slender frame that stood before them quickly readjusted his glasses, pushing them up to the bridge of his nose before running his fingers through his dark brown hair and reiterating his previous announcement, bringing with it the promise of hope as the firmly voiced words fell of his lips once more.

"My name is Dr. Mikomi. Bring the boy and follow me as quickly as possible. I'll take a look at him."

Both men felt their hearts rise into their throats as the kind offer of help was finally given to them in the form of an unlikely young man, but they were not about to waste their time thinking on the matter for too long.

Before they knew what was happening, both Jiraiya and Iruka were already making their way through the hospital, closely following Dr. Mikomi's heels as their feet carried them towards their goal as if by will alone.

Naruto was fading in and out of consciousness through most of their journey as they stumbled down the clean hallways and into an unoccupied I.C. room, before Jiraiya placed him down gently onto the available hospital bed that occupied its centre.

The sannin was silently hoping that Naruto would remain awake for as long as possible, because he knew that it was the best way to stand a fighting chance against the grip of death that now held onto him.

As long as he was awake, there was still hope...

After taking a step back and moving out of the way, their new found rescuer quickly took the older man's place and leaned over the battered form that rested beneath his gaze, analyzing his wounds while making a quick diagnostics of his condition as he removed the bandages that Kurenai had dressed his shoulder with.

"It looks like he has sustained multiple fractures and burn marks, in addition to the cuts and bruises that have covered his body, but his shoulder wound is the most concerning problem at this point in time. I will have to close it quickly before he loses any more blood than he already has. We may also need a blood transfusion to replace some of the blood he's already lost."

The young man was just about to get to work when Iruka interrupted him, halting the doctor in his tracks.

"Wait, I'm afraid that isn't our biggest problem at the moment. He was also infected with a highly lethal poison administered through a wound with a kunai. We got him back here as quickly as possible, but it looks like things are already taking a turn for the worst."

Dr. Mikomi nodded his head in understanding, before placing his hands just above Naruto's body and focusing his chakra to the edge of his palms. After a few brief moments, the soft blue glow of chakra began to emanate from his hands, before running over Naruto's chest.

"I'll run a diagnostics jutsu and try to get an idea of how far the poison has spread. We'll proceed from there once we know just how much damage has already been done."

He then moved his hands closer to Naruto's prone form, allowing the glow of his chakra to envelope the small body beneath him. Just as the blue hue came in contact with Naruto's skin, the golden markings that covered his body immediately lit up in reaction, before flashing in defense of their owner while the resounding pulse pushed the stunned doctor back on his feet, as if warding him away.

**"Gaaaahhh!!!"**

Naruto cried out in agony once more as the seals on his body continued to glow warmly along the outlines of his skin, as if being burned by their attempts to protect him, while squirming on top of the bed that he lay on. Iruka quickly ran up to his side as he continued to tremble violently, before grabbing a hold of his hand once more to calm him down again.

"Naruto, it's alright, I'm here..." The boy's shuffling slowly began to die down as the soothing comfort of his father's hold began to bathe him in its warmth, before finally calming. After a few moments, the soft glow of his markings began to dissipate altogether, before only the golden outlines remained.

Naruto's breathing immediately calmed thereafter while the white hot trace of tears began to trickle down his face and onto the sheets below him, a result of his pain mixed in with his fear. It was all he could do to hold onto what little comfort was provided to him by Iruka and it was all that was keeping him from breaking apart on the spot.

A recovering Mikomi, quickly stood up to the side of the bed again soon afterwards before looking up to Iruka, who had since moved to meet his gaze.

"What... what was that? I've never seen anything quite like that before and believe me when I say I have seen a lot of strange things in my time here." It was the only thing the man could think of asking at the time and the Iruka was somewhat glad for that fact, at least for now.

"It's... hard to explain, but what I can say is that Naruto's body is trying to protect him from harm. I guess the markings that cover him react to any external chakra source that it doesn't recognize, so when you tried to run your chakra through his body, it responded by forcing it back out again and pushing you away."

Iruka then turned his gaze back towards his son, before squeezing the boy's hand gently as Naruto continued to groan in pain. He knew that they would need to suppress the seals that covered his body before they could do anything to help him otherwise there would be no way for them to proceed.

"Hey kiddo, listen, I need you to try and dispel the seals on your body. Do you think you can try and force them back for me?"

Naruo just nodded his head numbly before closing his eyes and squeezing them tightly. After a few moments, he began to wince slightly as he focused what little chakra he had left and pushed it throughout his body. All three men watched as the golden trails slowly melted away soon afterwards until there was no trace left of them.

Once they were gone completely, Naruto let out a deep, exhausted breath, before his body collapsed in on itself from exhaustion, causing him to fall limp on the hospital bed. Iruka quickly ran his hand over the boy's head in panic before placing his ear against the his chest, listening for any signs of life. An irregular heartbeat immediately confirmed the blond's condition while allowing the chunin a brief, but short lived, sigh of relief.

"He fell unconscious, no doubt from exhaustion, but at least he's still breathing. I think it's safe to continue now."

Mikomi nodded his head and place his hands over Naruto's chest once more, allowing the soft glow of his chakra to envelope the boy's body, only this time with no ill reactions to meet his attempts. A few more seconds passed before the young man removed his hands again, before rubbing the base of his chin and closing his eyes thought.

"The poison has already spread to most of his body." He sighed disdainfully, before opening his eyes again and facing his two guests.

"It is a highly aggressive toxin that attacks the nervous system and causes it to falter before shutting it down completely, effectively killing its victim while causing sever amounts of pain in the process as the nerve endings fire off constantly. However, at the same time, it is also a very slow working poison... at least relative to the fast killing salves that most shinobi use. Whoever did this to him, it's obvious they wanted this boy to suffer for as long as possible and they were seemingly quite confident that he would die."

Iruka and Jiraiya both sunk their heads dismally as the man reported his findings. It was hard enough to know that Naruto was in so much pain and that they could do nothing to ease it, but what hurt the most was the fact that it may have already been to late to stop it from claiming him.

"Is there... anything you can do...?"

Dr. Mikomi let out a deep sigh at Jiraiya's question, before turning to face Naruto once more. His eyes slowly wondered over the blood, dirt and other marks that covered his body, while an innate desire began to awaken in his soul. He knew he had to help, that much was certain to him, but the problems posed by the poison's spread itself would be difficult to work around.

"Removing the poison is all but impossible at this point in time." He finally sighed, causing both Iruka and Jiraiya to stiffen somewhat.

"Although there are advanced techniques in existence that can be used to draw it out directly from the body, it is simply too far beyond my skills to do so. Only a medical nin of extremely high caliber can perform such a technique without risk to the patient and there is only one shinobi from Konoha who was known to have such skill. Unfortunately she is not with us at this point in time..."

Mikomi then pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose once more, betraying a nervous habit as he continued to analyze the wound around Naruto's shoulder.

"Luckily, there is still a way we can proceed..." The doctor finally continued, giving Iruka and Jiraiya some much needed hope in light of their panic..

"There are still some trace amounts of the poison left around the area of the wound where it was administered, so I should be able to draw some of it out directly from there and use a sample to create an antidote. It will be cutting it close and we don't have much time, but I think we can make it if we hurry. However, I won't be able to do it alone and seeing as how there are no medical staff who will readily aid us, I will need your assistance in this matter."

Iruka immediately jumped up to his feet and moved to attention, while Jiraiya approached the bed as well, all three ready for the task that now lay ahead of them. It would be a long, arduous struggle with no sure promise of success, but neither one of them would give up until there was nothing left in their power to save the boy whose life now lay in their hands.

"Alright then..." Iruka announced firmly, confirming his readiness to help. "... just tell us what we need to do..."

Mikomi let out a deep breath in preparation for what was about to take place, before turning to face the scarred chunin that stood opposite from him.

"You'll need to hold the boy down while I remove the poison from his wound, in case he wakes up during the extraction process. It can be quite painful and although he is unconscious, there is still a chance his body will react violently to the procedure."

The young man then turned to face Jiraiya, who was waiting patently for his given task.

"Once I've drawn out the poison, I will continue to heal most of his major wounds while you prepare everything we need for an antidote. I trust you have some medical knowledge that we can count on?" Jiraiya nodded his head at the question, to which Mikomi returned the gesture in kind.

"Good, that will come in handy. I'll need you to do exactly what I say and follow my instructions carefully. Any mistakes could mean the difference between life and death at this point in time. Once we are done with that, I'll administer the antidote intravenously to be sure that it acts quickly."

_'Hopefully, he will remain strong and stay with us throughout this ordeal.'_ Mikomi mused quietly to himself, before shaking off his thoughts.

"Alright, if everyone is ready, lets get started..."

--

About half an hour had passed since the start of the operation and the stress of their ordeal had already begun to take its toll on both Iruka and even Jiraiya. Both men were bordering on physical and emotional exhaustion, having barely rested from there search for the missing children or their rescue efforts, and the only thing that kept them going was shear determination and a desire to succeed.

They had already since drawn out the traces of poison from Naruto's wound, a trying ordeal by any account, and were now in the process of making an antidote using an analysis of its compounds. Most of Naruto's major wounds had been healed as well and were no longer an immediate threat, although he had lost a lot of blood already. The only real threat that remained for them to deal with was the poison itself and time was now running out for the three men and their young patient.

Iruka was currently sitting next to the bed on which Naruto quietly lay, while running his fingers over the boy's arm in an attempt to grasp any form of hope or that he could through their contact. What frightened him was the fact that Naruto never stirred once under his touch, instead remaining completely still with only his heavy, rasped breathing betraying any signs of life.

"Please.... just wait a little bit longer. Just hang in there as long as you can..."

A small shuffle quickly drew the chunin's attention to the end of the room, where Jiraiya and Dr. Mikomi were currently concocting an antidote to be administered. There was nothing much he could do to help, with his lack of medical expertise, so Iruka was resigned to simply providing what comfort he could for his son while doing his best to keep him from slipping away even further.

It was a commonly accepted belief that when someone was unconscious, trapped in a coma, or even when they were on the verge of death itself, that they could still subconsciously hear the voices of their loved ones when spoken to and that the hope given by such interaction would often be enough to keep them alive and going strong in times of adversity.

Iruka was not one to argue with such beliefs and at Mikomi's advice, he was offering what little he could to his son in the form of his own soft, kind voice, whispering words of hope into Naruto's ear while gently caressing him with the warmth of his own heart. Naruto seemed to respond positively, because for a while he never flinched or shook and there were no signs of pain that could be easily seen on his otherwise tattered form.

"That's it, just a little longer. It will all be over soon..."

Unfortunately, the peace was short lived and soon Naruto's body began to shake violently once more. Iruka immediately jumped up in panic as he watched Naruto begin to writhe on the spot before turning for help.

"Dr. Mikomi! Something's wrong!"

Soon the young man was right at his side, already checking on Naruto's condition as the boy continued to convulse erratically. Widening eyes quickly alerted Iruka to the man's distress, but the words that followed cut into his heart like a twisted blade.

"Shit! He's going into cardiac arrest! Move back!"

Iruka felt his heart freeze in his chest as the surreal and horrifying words that fell from Mikomi's lips hit him square in the chest. Time seemed to come to a complete standstill thereafter and it was almost as though he was watching the events unfold before him through a glass portal looking into another reality.

The scarred chunin could only stand there stiffly as he watched Mikomi begin to perform CPR in an attempt to revive his son, using his hands to pump the blood from the boy's heart to the rest of his body before placing his fingers around his ribcage, bathing them in a soft blue light.

"Clear!"

Iruka visibly flinched when a sudden jolt was sent through Naruto's body, causing it to lift slightly from the bed he lay on before flopping back down into a motionless heap, a failed attempt at bringing him back to life. The chunin didn't even notice the tears that began to stream down his face as he continued to watch in stunned silence, and only a firm hand falling on his shoulder from Jiraiya managed to bring him back from his bewildered trance.

"Iruka, snap out of it. You can't lose it now... not yet. Naruto needs you..." the stunned man slowly and numbly turned to face his older counterpart who simply nodded in response in an effort to reassure him, before the chunin willfully shook himself awake again. He then turned to see Naruto again, only to witness Mikomi repeat the same procedure he had performed only a few seconds before.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five. ...... Clear!!!" Another pulse of chakra was sent through the small body once more, only once again the same result was returned in kind. Naruto simply sank back down into the bed as another failed attempt to revive him was spent, while hopelessness began to fill the hearts of everyone watching.

After a few more desperate attempts to revive the boy, Mikomi finally sank his shoulders in defeat, before stepping back from the bed and wiping the base of his forehead from the sweat that had gathered. Both Iruka and Jiraiya could only watch strenuously as his gaze lifted to meet them, his expression filled with the easily recognizable signs of defeat, followed by the heavy words that stung them to the core.

"I... I'm sorry, it's too late..."

"No..." Iruka gulped, before stepping forward to the side of the bed. "No... this isn't right. This can't be right! There must be something more..."

"I did everything I could..." Mikomi cut him off. "... but we were simply too late in our efforts. He's gone now and there is nothing more we can do for him. I'm sorry."

The young man then walked to the end of the room, picking up a clipboard with a sheet of paper attached to it from the table standing against the far wall before sighing regrettably and pulling out a pen to scribe with. Iruka simply walked up to Naruto's motionless body in the silence that followed, before placing his hand on the boy's cold, lifeless arm.

The scarred chunin simply continued to shake his head in disbelief, while the faint glimmer of water began to rundown the sides of his cheeks once more. He squeezed Naruto's arm, hoping for a response, for any sign of life even of only a little, but there was nothing. Not even a single tingle of emotion remained.

"No... Naruto, you can't leave, not now." He whispered gently, as if only the boy could hear him. "You always gave everything to protect others, to save those around you, but I was never able to keep you from harm. I could never protect you when you needed me the most."

The tears that streamed down the chunin's face were now in full flow and Iruka did little to hold them back as he continued to squeeze Naruto's arm, as if willing the young blond to come back to him. Mikomi and Jiraiya both watched dishearteningly as the man continued to whisper words of remorse, neither one knowing what to do or how to ease the pain.

"Please..." Iruka continued. "... you once gave your own life to try and save me, just like you did with Lee. Let me give you some of mine this time. Please just take what you need and wake up so I can see your smile again. I need you to wake up..."

Mikomi simply shook his head in dismay as the scene continued to unfold in front of his eyes, before turning to write on the sheet of paper in his hand. He would have make a record of Naruto's case, even if no-one else would care to take note it.

"Alright, the time of death is twelve thirty. The cause of death.... cardiac arrest due to internal poisoning and failure of the nervous system...."

Suddenly, Iruka's eyes widened in shock as he felt the small traces of an unexpected will flowing into his body, before he quickly turned to face Dr. Mikomi, who was now jotting down notes onto his board. It was as if a small glimmer of hope was being sent to him in answer to his prayers as he felt his heart begin to fill with a foreign energy that he knew was not his own.

"Wait! He's still alive! We need to help him now!" The chunin shouted desperately, causing the other two in the room to turn and face him in surprise. He was just about to continue when a stern voice interrupted him, halting him in his excitement.

"Enough... Iruka..." The said chunin quickly turned to the one that addressed him, only to see Jiraiya staring back at him with a pained expression.

"look, I know it's hard to accept, but he's gone now. I'm upset as well and I know how you must feel, but we have to let him go..."

"No! You don't understand!" Iruka cut him off. "I can feel him Jiraiya, I am not imagining this! He's alive and if we don't do something about it quickly we are going to lose him again!"

Both men continued to stare one another down for a brief moment before Jiraiya finally nodded his head. The sheer will he saw In Iruka's eyes spoke clearly of his determination and confidence in his assessment and he could not deny the man his chance at saving his son if there was even the slightest glimmer of hope to light their path.

"Alright..." He finally sighed, before turning to Mikomi. "You heard the man, lets give this one more shot."

Mikomi put down the clipboard at Jiraiya's request and trudged over to the bed that held Naruto once more. The man inhaled one last desperate breath and placed both of his hands over the boy's chest, before releasing his anguished tension through a heavy sigh.

"Fine... one last time, but I can only do so much..."

With that, the doctor began to perform the same procedure once more, pumping the blood from Naruto's heart to the rest of his body, before sending another jolt of chakra through his chest in an attempt to jump-start his own heartbeat again. Iruka and Jiraiya both watched with nervous anxiety as this continued for a few mintutes, before all hope almost seemed lost again.

Mikomi was just about to give up altogether when suddenly, in what seemed to be a miracle in motion, Naruto's chest lifted in a tight, wheezed strain. Soon afterwards, the scant sounds of a rasped breath whispered across the air, drawing it into the boy's lungs as they filled with life-giving oxygen once more.

To say the doctor was stunned was an understatement, but he recovered quickly and placed his hand on Naruto's neck to feel for a pulse, being delightfully rewarded with the barely present stream of life that now flowed in a steady, rhythmic beat passed his fingers once again.

"He's... alive! My god... I didn't actually think..."

**"Naruto!!!"**

Iruka's joyous cry interrupted Mikomi's aimless babbling before he could even find the words to describe his shock and soon the chunin was kneeling next the bed, holding onto the boy's arm as he continued to watch the rise and fall of his chest.

The sound of Naruto's breathing was like music to his ears and even Jiraiya couldn't help the wide smile that crept up onto his old face. Mikomi, however, wasted little time in the exuberance that followed, despite the relief provided to them, and quickly moved to retrieve the antidote that they had prepared. After all, alive or not, there was still the risk of poison to deal with.

He then moved up to the I.V. stand next to Naruto's bed and placed a drip into the boy's arm, fastening it down with a carefully paled bandage and ensuring that it would not come out despite his shuffling. Once that was done, he injected the contents of the antidote directly into the drip, allowing it to be administered into the bloodstream for immediate effect.

"That should do it. The poison will be broken up into harmless proteins by the antidote and will be cleared out altogether within a few minutes. His life is no longer in danger."

Mikomi then sank down into the nearest chair, releasing an breath he didn't know he was even holding. He couldn't help the tired smile that suddenly screamed across his face or the chuckled laughter that left his lips. Whether it was from stress, or simply the invigorating reward of saving a young life, it didn't really matter anymore.

After a few moments of relief, the young man looked up once more and readjusted his glasses to straiten them out again. They had become suspiciously misty, so he quickly wiped them with a handkerchief from his pocket, before allowing himself to take in the scene that now met his tired, weary gaze.

Iruka was currently sitting next to the bed, holding onto Naruto's arm like a lifeline while running his other free hand through his soft blond hair. Jiraiya, on the other hand, was content to simply lean against the wall nearest to the window, closing his eyes as if to provide some rest following the events that had just occurred, although the doctor could see that he was still as alert as ever.

After a few minutes of silence following, Iruka finally spoke up again, tearing his eyes away from boy in front of them and focusing them on the very doctor whose heroic actions had saved the life of his son.

"Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me. You could have left us and abandoned Naruto just like everyone else did, but instead you came to save him. I can't thank you enough and I will always be in your debt." Mikomi waved off the show of gratitude as if it was nothing to him, instead opting to smile earnestly in response.

"There is no need for your thanks." He announced genuinely.

"I'm afraid that most of those who work in this hospital have forgotten what it is exactly that they are here for. Saving lives is not a gift that we give to those who we think deserve it, nor is it our right to decide who should die and who should live. It is our duty as doctors and nurses to help anyone who comes through those doors, no matter who they are, because that is the vow we took under oath of the Hokage himself. If I left that boy to die, I would not only be forgoing my duties as a doctor, but I would be betraying the very oath I swore to this village and in doing so, I would be betraying Konoha itself."

Iruka bowed his head gratefully in respect to the man's words. He was grateful that there were still those who were noble and chivalrous in their actions, regardless of whether it was only an action based on duty or simply the kindness of an caring heart. There were a few more moments of silence that followed afterwards before he spoke once more, this time in a near whisper.

"Do you... when do you think he'll wake up?"

"I'm not sure." Mikomi responded tiredly. "The antidote should work immediately, but it may be a while before he recovers from his exhaustion and his other wounds. His body underwent a lot of stress, both from the poison and from his injuries, so it may be a few hours, or maybe even days, before he recovers completely."

The young doctor then averted his gaze back over to the small form lying in front of him, before smiling softly as he watched the small signs of life continue to meet his gaze in what could only be described as a miraculous sight.

"It was a miracle that he came back to us." He sighed. "He should be dead right now, that much is certain, but somehow... somehow he has managed to defy the odds. A miracle is the only way I can truly describe it and believe me when I say us medical types aren't ones to believe in such things." Iruka quickly shifted his gaze to share in the young man's view, before his own smile appeared as well.

"No, it wasn't just a miracle. It was Naruto. He did this for himself as well."

Mikomi nodded his head in understanding, as if he already knew of what Iruka spoke. The young man then leaned back into his chair and allowed his eyes rest at last, while his thoughts wandered on the strange phenomenon that was Naruto. He couldn't help the knowing smile that emanated off his lips and the thoughts that followed.

_'Yes, that is right isn't it? This isn't the first time a miracle has followed in this boy's wake. I would see that miracle when he wakes up again and perhaps... perhaps she would want to see him as well...'_

--

**AN:** Well, it wasn't an 'action packed' chapter, but I did add suspense to it in a different way. Hope you enjoyed reading it though. The next one is much brighter, with more light hearted interactions between the returning kids as well as some of the adults. You can say goodbye to this arc after that and hello to a brand new phase in my story.

The battle become more epic and the adventures that much grander as well! ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD      
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	38. Chapter 38 Recovery

**Eyes of the Broken Soul **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

**AN:** Hey everyone, it's me again. Yes, I know it has been a long time since I last updated and it is highly unusual for me to leave you guys hanging for such a large amount of time. However, circumstances have been very poor these last months and my life has had a few rough spots thrown into the fray. They are circumstances that are difficult to share or even mention, so please just understand.

It also doesn't help that I have been quite busy lately, something that has kept me from the one pastime I love so much. Anyway, I am glad to finally bring you the next chapter in my story, after a long absence, and I hope to return to my frequent updates as soon as possible.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope to update it as soon as possible following this one.

Enjoy!!! ^ ^

--

**Chapter 38 - Recovery **

"Naruto... Naruto, you need to wake up now. Naruto, please we need you..."

Naruto's body began to shuffle slightly as the soft, distance calls of barely coherent voices fell over him, bringing him from his slumber as they shook into his soul with an unnerving desperation. An icy cold chill, one all to familiar to his touch and one that brought dread to his heart whenever he felt it, once again sank into his body as it embraced the cruel exposure in its awakening.

The young boy's eyelids began to falter thereafter, shaking slightly as the sudden and terrible cold began to seep its way into his very core, before they finally opened to reveal the darkness that had settled around him.

"W.... Where am I? Am I dead?"

As Naruto's soft, strained whisper scattered across the vast scape of shadow that surrounded him, as sudden tremble began to shake him where he lay, causing him to sit up in panic as he was rocked violently back and forth by the sudden, unnerving jolt.

Soon afterwards, the tremor subsided once more leaving only darkness behind, but the lingering feeling of dread that remained still clung firmly to the boy's racing heart, a feeling that he recognized but could not quite place at that point in time.

Naruto then took a brief moment to look around once more, trying to find any source of life that he could find, but nothing else met his gaze other than the emptiness that had seemingly consumed him. However, despite how dark it was, he could still see his own hands and feet, as well as the rest of his own body as he sat there in the cold silence.

It was almost as though he was the only soul that existed in the darkness, as if he alone was the only source of any illumination in what was otherwise nothing but an cold empty shadow, however the loneliness that began to eat away at him soon became overwhelming and his panic grew that much more prevalent.

"Naruto... help us!"

Once again, the same familiar voices that had awoken him, reached out for him from inside the darkness, voices that he knew he recognized from somewhere, but ones that he could not quite place in his memories.  Following them, Naruto slowly and painfully stood to his feet, before making his was across towards the source of the call for help, his heart now squeezing with anxiety.

"Hello! Is anyone there!"

All the boy could hear in return was the loud echo of his own panicked voice answering to his anguished cries, followed by an unnerving silence. It was only a while later before that silence was finally broken again, as the recurring call for help echoed across the halls once more, only this time it was much more easily recognizable and it caused his heart to tense up in fear.

"Hinata? HINATA!!!!"

Naruto immediately took off as fast as his legs could carry him as soon as he realized that it was his friend that needed him, following the sound of Hinata's voice as it led him through the darkness that seemed to stretch on endlessly.

After running for what felt like an eternity, the shadow around him suddenly began to lift away like an ominous fog, revealing a familiar scene as the new surroundings met Naruto's startled gaze. The young boy came to a halt soon afterwards, taking in his new surroundings as confusion began to consume him even more than it had before.

The tall trees and muddy forest floor that haunted his recent memories now surrounded him completely, bathed in the soft illumination of an eerie full moon and chilled by the soothing embrace of a gentle breeze.

"I don't understand..." Naruto mumbled to himself, his confusion now settling in completely. "What's going on? Why am I here again? I thought..."

Just then, a sudden realization came rushing back to him in a overwhelming flood of emotions. Naruto quickly held his hand up to press against his chest in an effort to ease the dull aching thud of his heartbeat that now pounded at his ribcage, but it did little to ease the anxious discomfort that now ate away at him.

_'That's right, we were attacked by those shinobi and I was taken away, but then.... then dad found me and brought me back home. I thought... I thought I was dying. I thought I was... dead...'_

Before Naruto could think on it any further, a gentle whisper carried across the breeze that swept up against him, brushing past his ears and causing the hairs on his neck to stand on end. The soft calm voice that addressed him soon afterwards, brought with it a cold dread and caused his heart to sink even more.

"N.... Naruto... please... save us..."

The wind then continued in its unrelenting motion, caressing against Naruto's skin and brushing gently passed the nearby leaves, before disappearing into the darkness altogether. Naruto, now feeling a little bit more than unnerved and even somewhat frightened, quickly chased after the ghostlike phantom and followed it through the dense undergrowth.

As he made his way through the branches and mossy stone outcroppings, with the numerous sprouts of greenery never allowing him more than a few feet of vision at any one time, the voice that lead him forward slowly grew louder and louder, as if to urge him closer to their awaiting destination.

"Wait, slow down a bit will ya? Please, I don't know what's going on!" Naruto's desperate cries seemed to lose themselves in the darkness, as if being soaked up by the very shadows themselves, but even still the voice that lead him never once relented in its motion.

Finally, after a few minutes of desperate chasing, Naruto eventually cleared the trees and bushes that hindered his progress, before arriving in a small clearing soon afterwards, but the sight that met him on the other side caused his chest to tighten and his eyes grew wide with the sudden panic that met as a lump in his throat.

"No... it can't be..."

There, lying on the floor right before his very eyes, were the familiar figures that he recognized from his academy, all lying on the muddy earth covered in traces of their own blood. The thick stench of copper and flesh filled the night sky around him and the suffocatingly stale air was enough to make Naruto nauseous.

The boy quickly ran forward in his panic, unable to stop the quick flickers of his eyes as they darted from one figure to the next, taking in the visage of each battered form before moving on to another.

Eventually, his eyes settled on one last form, one who he recognized immediately. Naruto ran up to where Hinata lay sprawled across the floor, motionless, before sinking to his knees in front of her.

"Hinata! What happened? Who did this to you!?!?!"

The young girl's eyes opened to greet the voice that addressed her, pale lavender irises looking up to meet panicked blue ones. Naruto nearly choked when he saw the pain and sorrow that had filled inside of them, the defeat he could see staring back at him, but even despite that she still managed to smile weakly.

"Naruto, we tried so hard, but they were just to strong. I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you..."

The eyes then emptied once more and Hinata's head lolled lifelessly to the floor. Naruto quickly grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, but he could no longer feel any life flowing back into him.

"No... no you can't die! You were supposed to be safe! This wasn't supposed to happen!!!"

In his panic, Naruto quickly placed both of his palms on top of Hinata's cold, lifeless body, before pushing what lifeforce he could spare into her. Soon, he could begin feeling the drain of warmth leaving his already tired and trembling body, but no matter how much it seemed to slip away, Hinata's condition remained unchanged.

He still couldn't feel her, there was left nothing coming from her touch but the empty coldness of death that met his fingers, and soon Naruto's clenching heart began to ache painfully in his chest. He quickly activate his Tenraigan, with the blue shimmer of his eyes shifting to a shining gold in seconds, before searching desperately for any signs of life he might otherwise have missed through touch, but even still there was nothing but darkness to meet his gaze.

"Hinata... no..." The boy's doujutsu then faded away again, before he finally sank down in defeat. Naruto's head soon found itself resting on his hands as they lay on top of Hinata's lifeless form, with his own body trembling in shock as the sickening realization once again began to sink into his heart.

"I couldn't... save you. I couldn't save anyone. I don't understand... why did this happen...?"

_"It's hard, isn't it? This is all that your precious love will bring you, pain and loss. This is the price you will pay for that weakness in the end."_

Naruto's head suddenly shot up again as the ominous call of a terrible voice reached out to him, but he was surprised to find that the forest that had once surrounded him, was now gone altogether, replaced instead by the familiar halls that he recognized all to well from his nightmares. The damp floors and rusted pipes that met his gaze immediately betrayed his location and the floor in front of him was now empty of the body of his friend.

"Why... why am I here?" Naruto then turned his head around carefully, as if already expecting what he was about to see, only to face the same giant iron cage that he had appeared before already in the past.

The young boy quickly stood to his feet again soon thereafter, before narrowing his eyes angrily.

**"Why do you keep doing this to me!?!?!"** Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, only to have his voice cut away as the strain on his throat acted up again.

"Isn't it enough that everyone in the village already hates me, without you making me have these nightmares all the time?!?! Do you really want to hurt me that much!?!?!"

In answer to the boy's angry cries, two glowing red eyes soon materialized into view, before casting their gaze down towards the subject of their discontent. Naruto faltered slightly as they narrowed dangerously in his direction and he instinctively took a wary step backwards. He could tell there was no amusement in those awful eyes, only anger and hatred, and the mere sight of it forced him to lower his own gaze to the ground, lest he inadvertently subjected himself to the horror that lay within such a terrible soul.

**"You insolent brat!" **

The voice that tore from the darkness behind those glowing red eyes quickly filled the large hall with their authority and power, as well as the unmistakable dread of their malice. Naruto fell backwards to the ground from the mere pressure that crept towards him and he could easily feel the killing intent practically oozing off from the cage, knowing all to well that it was directed solely at him.

"How dare you show such disrespect in my presence! I child like you cannot possibly fathom the power I wield and I will not tolerate such behavior from the likes of you!"

Naruto took a deep, wavering gulp, but bravely stood to his feet again despite the overwhelming fear that pulled at his heart. He then took another shaky breath to calm his own nerves and stepped forward again, gaining a slight look of surprise from the monster that now looked down at him.

"I... I just don't understand. Why do you keep showing me these visions? Why do you want to hurt me so much when I've already had to feel so much pain? Isn't it enough for you, that you have to hurt me even more?"

The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes again, but this time they seemed more settled than they had been moments before. It was almost as if the rage that had exploded out before had now dampened into mere discontent.

_"Do you really think I alone am the one who subjects you to these visions? That I alone am to blame?"_ There was no answer and Naruto simply kept his head lowered, to which the great kitsune continued.

_"No. These thoughts, these fears, they belong to you and you alone. I do not have such a frail heart that I would be subjected to such weaknesses nor do I care for the useless bonds you have developed with those you say you love. I merely took the fears that existed in your heart and set them out before you, to show you how futile it is to hold onto those precious emotions of yours."_

"But... why?" Naruto asked again, this time allowing his voice to raise a little higher.

_"Because this is the third time you have almost died for the sake of your so called love, the third time you would give your life away to save those around you instead of protecting only yourself as you should be. Only once you realize how futile such emotions are, will you be able to grow strong enough to destroy your enemies. That is, of course, not to mention that my own life is tied to yours and I will not tolerate your reckless endangerment of my own being simply to abhor such a pitiful weakness that is your fragile body."_

Naruto's simply lowered his head even more at that, as if to sink into his own sense of defeat. The Kyuubi's lips quickly curled up into a wicked smile at the mere sight of the boy's wavering hope, content that his words had hit their mark in the Naruto's heart.

_"Yes, that's right, you feel it don't you. You're finally beginning to see how much you stand to lose for this... this 'love' of yours. Only hatred will save you now..."_

"You're wrong..." Naruto suddenly spoke up in a small whisper, cutting the giant kitsune off from his lecture. The Kyuubi's eyes narrowed once more, but he did not speak up to respond.

Naruto then lifted his head up once more, allowing his eyes to bravely meet those of the great fox before him. Much to the Kyuubi's surprise, the emotions he could see reflecting back in them were not what he expected to witness. There was no more doubt, no more unease or dread or even fear.

There was simply peace, unmoving and solidified in his gaze. It was almost as though the boy had already found his own answer, as though he had already accepted the truth of the matter as it lay within the bounds of his own heart.

"All my life, I've only ever felt pain..." The boy finally continued, still speaking in a low voice, but just loud enough for the kitsune to hear.

"Ever day it was always the same for me, everyone would always try to hurt me as much as they could. They would beat me and curse me until I cried for mercy and when that wasn't enough to break me, they would continue until I couldn't even cry any more. I never understood why I was hated, but what I do remember is how alone it made me feel."

Naruto then clenched his chest with his hand, holding back a heavy breath as the pain of his own words began to fill up inside of him. He took a moment to muster all of the strength he could, and it was all he could do just to continue.

"There were times that I wanted to kill myself just to take that pain away..." He continued solemnly, unable to help the sudden hiccup that caught in his throat. "... I just wanted to end the feelings of loneliness that I felt inside, but I was too afraid that if I died, that I would be even more alone than before. It was the worst kind of pain I have ever felt and I couldn't stop crying every night it happened."

The Kyuubi simply continued to look on in silence as Naruto spoke softly, never once interrupting the boy's words despite how slowly and carefully they fell from his trembling lips. The boy noted the uneasy look in the fox's eyes, but continued regardless.

"But then... then dad came and found me. He saved me from that loneliness and pain and I was so happy, because for the first time in my entire life I felt loved. It made me feel warm inside, like I wasn't alone anymore and that someone cared about me. Then I cried for a different reason, but this time crying wasn't painful like it always had been before. This time I knew it was good."

Naruto bravely held back the sudden sting of tears that pushed towards the corners of his eyes as his emotions began to well up inside. He would not let them fall in front of the Kyuubi, he would not allow the fox to see that weakness now. Instead, he allowed the memories of his father's smile to give him strength, a strength he never had when he was alone.

"When... when I thought I had lost my dad, it hurt so much that I thought I would never be able to bear it, and even after I knew he was fine I was afraid to feel that kind of pain again. I thought that if I was alone again, that it would stop anyone I loved from getting hurt, but then I realized that I was only hurting myself and the people I cared about even more by pushing them away. That is why I have decided never to let go anymore, to protect them no matter what the cost is, even if it means that I might lose that love in the end. Even if it hurts me, it will never hurt as much as I felt when I was alone, when I never felt any love at all. That is why I will continue to hold onto it dearly for as long as I can, no matter how painful it is."

Once all was said and done, the boy lowered his head again, as if awaiting the hidden wrath of his tenant's response to his conclusion. However, the storm he expected to burden never came to bear, instead being replaced by a deep, hollow voice that seemed to permeate him to the core with an overwhelming sense of disappointment.

_"Very well, if that is your decision then so be it. It seems that I will not be able to convince you otherwise. However, I have already warned you that this path of yours will only lead to your own suffering in the end, but it seems you have chosen to ignore my warnings and allow yourself to continue to be weak. Leave now, I do not wish to speak to you any longer."_

Before Naruto could even respond, the world around him went dark again, before his thoughts once again fell away into dreams.

--

It was only moments later when the darkness began to lift away again, only this time in its place, light greeted the small, tired eyes that slowly began to pry themselves open. Naruto squinted painfully in the glare that met his gaze as light bathed his vision, but after a few moments, the world slowly began to peel into view.

At first, it was little more than an incoherent blur, but the squinted shapes and faded walls around him quickly melded into solid objects and it wasn't long before he could finally make out the small confines of the hospital room around him.

_'I'm, here again. That means...'_

Naruto's eyes quickly wandered down to the rest of his body, noticing the bandages that wrapped around his arms and chest, as well as the IV attached to his arm. The blanket that covered him came up to his stomach, resting just around his waist, and covered what ever other wounds he might have had on his legs.

_'I guess this means I am still alive after all.'_

The boy's gaze then shifted once more, only this time with a new objective in mind. Moving his head was slightly painful, no doubt from the muscle ache of resting in one position for a reasonable amount of time, but he still managed to turn it to the side, noting with a huge amount of relief that sure as daylight, Iruka was sitting peacefully on a chair just to the right of his bed, his head embedded firmly in his hands as he rested his eyes.

"D... dad..."

Naruto immediately felt his heart fill up with both an endless amount of joy as well as a sudden sense of anxiousness. All he wanted to do was call out to his father, to reach out and touch him, but when he tried to speak, he found his voice still caught with a heavy rasp and unable to produce anything above a small whisper.

"Dad... I... I'm h-here..."

Once again, his anguished whisper barely held any weight, and Naruto's desperation quickly evolved into action as he lifted his hand to reach out for the figure across from him. As he lifted his shaking hand desperately, despite how weak he felt at the time, Iruka suddenly stirred, seemingly noticing the movement out of the corner of his eyes.

Soon, the man's gaze lifted from his palms, only to notice the small desperate shuffles inhabiting the bed set before him, as well as the two small, wavering blue eyes that met his stare.

"N... Naruto..."

Iruka did not allow his shock to restrain him for very long and he quickly leaped from his seat and up to Naruto's side, managing to catch the boy's falling hand into his own just just as it collapsed in weakness. Naruto simply smiled as he felt the sudden flow of warmth spread throughout his body, as Iruka squeezed his hand tightly in his own.

The sudden and overwhelming sense of relief and love that he felt coming through their contact was almost enough to ease all of Naruto's pains and he couldn't help his own heart as it rose up and throbbed joyfully in his chest, a beating life that had almost been snuffed out but one that was now filled with a new spirit all its own.

"It's... good to see you... again....D-dad..." The boy choked affectionately, doing little to hide his emotions.

Iruka simply smiled in return as he felt the soft, gentle whisper reached his hearing, before moving his hand up to Naruto's head and brushing it through the boy's hair, stroking it gently in comfort. It was almost like a dream, seeing Naruto awake again, but the strong emotions shared between them clearly spoke of the reality at hand.

"Thank god you're awake." The man smiled gently. "Finally, you've come back to us, I have been worried sick. You really gave me a scare there you know, and I am not the only one as well."

Naruto's face quickly fell into a frown as his father's words reminded him of the nightmare he had witnessed only moments before, something Iruka noted with a slight hint of unease.

"What... a... about the o-others?" The boy whispered nervously, his voice now making a slow but shaky return to normality. "Are they on t-there way... back? Are they... alright?"

Iruka simply nodded his head with a reassuring grin, a gesture that immediately put the boy's fears at ease and saw his frown melt away soon afterward. Naruto's head then sank back into the contours of the pillow that it rested upon, accompanied only by a heartfelt sigh as he gently closed his eyes as an overwhelming relief washed over him.

Iruka obviously noticed the sudden change in emotions, because he quickly squeezed the boy's had again, as if to help ease his lingering distress and allow it to drain away from his soul.

"Actually, they got back yesterday afternoon to be exact." The man continued. "Some of them have even come to visit you already. Even Lee came by when he heard what happened. I can assure you he was quite concerned about your wellbeing."

Naruto's eyes quickly sprang open again, before diverting their gaze back to Iruka.

"You mean, they're back already?" Iruka nodded his head again in response to the surprised question, before turning his gaze to the end of the room. Naruto's own eyes followed suit, only to see the small bundle of flowers standing near the window.

"Ino arranged those for you along with some of the others..." Iruka smiled. "I was actually quite surprised she came here to deliver them personally, but apparently she was feeling quite guilty about what happened to you."

Naruto couldn't help but blink in stunned surprise. To say it was unusual for him to be receiving gifts from the blond Yamanaka was an understatement, so it was no surprise that the boy felt a bit uneasy about the sudden and kind gesture. Iruka noticed the uncomfortable silence, despite the fact that Naruto still found it difficult to talk properly, so he quickly spoke up once more.

"Anko, Kakashi and Kurenai also came around for a while after they made their report to the Hokage. I could have almost sworn that Anko herself was about to permanently end the careers of half the staff here, and not with the kind of retirement package one would ever want, but we managed to calm her down before _too_ much damage was inflicted. Jiraiya-sama has also been here most of the time, in fact he's hardly been away, except for just now."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding, clearly signifying that he had understood everything that had been explained to him, and he even manged a brief smile just thinking about how Anko would have reacted to seeing him there, but there were still some questions nagging at the back of his mind.

"What about Hinata... and.... and Kiba?" He croaked nervously. "Did they come... and visit as well?" Iruka's cheery disposition fell away somewhat at the question, but he quickly spoke up to answer before his unease was betrayed in his expression.

"Well, Kiba had a few injuries from the attack, including a broken arm and leg, so he was administered to the hospital for treatment as soon as he got back. In fact, he is just a few rooms down from where we are. As for Hinata...." The chunin then paused for a moment, something that Naruto noticed easily as a sign of his discomfort, along with the uneasy tension flowing through the grip around his hand.

"Well, her father has kept her at the Hyuuga estate since they got back. I'm afraid she has not been here yet."

Iruka finished off with a heavy sigh, clearly betraying his discomfort with regards to the news. Naruto seemed a bit disappointed that Hinata had not been there, but he simply remained quiet for a few moments despite himself, before finally speaking once more.

"If... if they're all back... then that means..." He then turned his gaze back towards that of his father's, who had since turned to meet it again. "Dad... how long... have I been out for?"

Iruka simply leaned over and ran his hand through Naruto's hair again, smiling softly as did so.

"Well, it has been four days since we got back to Konoha. You were constantly sliding in and out of a critical state and your condition had been very poor up until this morning so I was afraid that we might have lost you. We... we almost did lose you at one point, but now I'm very glad to see you awake again, you have no idea how happy it makes me to see those eyes of yours full of life again."

Naruto took a deep gulp, feeling a sudden lump form in his throat as the words of his father met his ears. Iruka could see his eyes waver with a soft shimmer and soon the golden hue of his emotions came into full view once as his irises were enveloped in their radiant shine. He could also feel the small hand wrapped in his own squeezing his fingers tightly, showing more strength than they had only moments before.

"I... I never got to say hello properly..."

Iruka raised his eyebrows curiously as Naruto spoke once more in a near whisper, curious as to what he meant by his words. In response, the boy just swallowed another gulp and continued.

"When you saved me... I... I never got to hug you and to say hi." The boy choked again. "Is it... is it alright if I.... say hello p-properly now?"

Soon, the tears of relief that had stung at Iruka's eyes began to shed themselves at last and he quickly nodded his head in response. The warm smile that spread across his lips right then stood in stark contrast to the crystal liquid that ran down his cheeks, but he quickly wiped them away so as to not cause Naruto alarm.

"Sure thing kiddo..." He whispered softly. "I would... like that... very much..."

Iruka then climbed up onto the bed, being careful not to cause Naruto any discomfort in his movements, and then lay himself down next to the boy resting on it, before moving his left arm around Naruto's shoulders and pulling him into a gentle embrace. Naruto himself simply curled up into the man's hold, allowing his head to rest on Iruka's chest as the chunin's arms wrapped around him in a comforting hug. Naruto's lips then spread into a warm smile, although they still quivered even as he moved them to speak.

"H... hi dad...." Iruka just giggled softly at the gesture and then rubbed Naruto's head once more, gaining a warm, affectionate sigh for his efforts.

"Hi there kiddo..." After that, they simply lay there in the peaceful moments that followed, content to just remain in one another's arms.

As they continued to lie there in the silence that followed, Naruto began to close his eyes in his exhaustion, but before he could dose off altogether Iruka spoke up once more, seemingly to know one in particular as he continued to stroke Naruto's soft blond hair aimlessly.

"I'm... sorry kiddo, I should have been more careful. If I had watched over you better, if I had only realized what was going on, I could have kept you in the village so that you would have been safe. I shouldn't have brought you on that trip and endangered your life like that."

Naruto quickly opened his eyes again and looked up to his father, somewhat startling Iruka as his golden irises locked into his gaze. The chunin had forgotten how entrancing those eyes were, how much they drew a person's gaze in their strangely supernatural beauty and hypnotic shimmer.

"No.... don't be sorry..." The boy spoke softly. "I know what happened was bad but...." Naruto then lowered his head again and rested it once more.

"... but sometimes even when bad things happen, good things happen as well. I wanted to go, so it isn't your fault. I... I was happy just being with you. I was happy because it felt so good, just spending time with my dad, because it is the one thing I love more than anything else and I got to make new friends as well, even though it was hard at times. I'm just glad I got to see you again... as long as you're alright then I am happy."

As the last traces of Naruto's words fell from his lips, slowly falling into a soft murmur as exhaustion finally claimed its prize, Iruka could feel his body relax thereafter and soon the steady rhythm of sleep could be felt in his breathing. The chunin looked down to the boy's peaceful face, whose whiskered cheeks now rested on his chest, as well as the small hand that clung firmly to his vest, and couldn't help the knowing grin that crept across his cheeks.

_'Likewise kiddo. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. I am glad that things turned out alright after all. I am so proud of you, for being so strong and protecting everyone as best as you could. I'm sorry Ryuukimi, but it looks like you will have to wait a little bit longer before Naruto summons you again.'_

After a few moments of peace thereafter, Iruka then turned his attention to the window, once he knew that Naruto was fast asleep in his arms. After another weary breath, to relieve his lingering tension, the chunin spoke up once more.

"Alright Jiraiya, you can come in now. I know you're out there, so you might as well show yourself." Moments later, as if on que to Iruka's words, the toad sannin came bolting into the room, before directing an amused grin towards the chunin across from him.

"Heh! First the old man and now you. I'm surprised you noticed me at all, I guess I'm becoming a bit sloppy in my old age." He laughed, before looking down to where Naruto lay.

"And I see it looks like you're gonna also be stuck there for a while to. I don't think Naruto's going to let you move for the next few hours at the very least." In response, Iruka simply looked down at the boy lying on top of him and smiled.

"I don't mind, in fact I think I needed this just as much as he did. I am just glad he has finally woken up again. It was hard, watching him like that, not knowing whether he was even going to wake up at all." Iruka then turned his attention back to Jiraiya again.

"You could have come in earlier, you know. I'm sure Naruto wouldn't have minded an extra visitor, especially after everything that he's been through. He could do with the company right now and I'm sure being lost and away from those he cares about, for so long, must have really been hard for him."

Jiraiya simply grinned at the suggestion directed towards him, before leaning against the nearby wall in an all too familiar fashion and crossing his arms firmly in front of his chest.

"That may be true..." The older man smirked boastfully. "... but I think this was a necessary transition. You two needed some time alone first, before the rest of us started smothering you with affection. Hahaha!"

The sannin then pushed himself up off the wall again and made his way over to the chair that Iruka had inhabited only moments before, taking a seat and folding his arms once more. His expression then took on a far more serious tone, something that immediately warned his company to the coming discussion.

"Look Iruka, there is something I need to talk to you about. The seals on Naruto's body, the ones that appeared when we found him in the forest, well I took some time to examine them while he has been out and I can only say that I am deeply puzzled by their nature. I have never encountered anything like it before, although I think you may know more about them than I do."

Iruka simply sighed at the subject. "Well, unfortunately, I don't know that much about them either." He responded glumly.

"I only know what little Naruto has managed to explain to me and even that is very little. The thing is, he is the only one who can read the scroll you gave him and I am afraid he is simply too young and inexperienced to understand it properly himself, although he is surprisingly knowledgeable considering those drawbacks."

Jiraiya let out a deep, uneasy breath as Iruka explained the situation to him. He was hoping his thirsting curiosity on the matter would have been somewhat quenched, but it seemed as though circumstanced once again impeded anything regarding Naruto's well being.

"I suppose it is up to us to help him figure it out then." He sighed.

"We can assist him if there is something he doesn't understand, after all when it comes to seals, their nature is far more complex than any other art a shinobi could hope to learn. The thing is, when I was examining them, I came across a few interesting characteristics. Like many other seals, they aren't visible to the eye when they are not in use, and they are not even recognizable for someone who does not know what they are looking for."

The sannin then allowed his body to sink back into the chair he rested on, trying his best to become comfortable for the conversation ahead, before continuing.

"However, seals normally become visible when they are exposed directly to the flow of chakra, but when I tried to run my chakra through Naruto's seals to better inspect them, they did not react at all. In fact, it was almost as though they were not even there to begin with."

"Well, that makes sense." Iruka replied. "Naruto did mention that the seals on his body only react to his unique bloodline, so they will only respond to Naruto's chakra and life force signatures. He said it was created as a way to protect the jutsu passed down through his lineage, so that they could not be stolen by outside clans or analyzed by any potential enemies. Apparently the seals are used to to resonate with his chakra in order to activate a jutsu, but I am not entirely sure how it works or why it is even necessary."

"Hmm, that is interesting indeed." Jiraiya replied, nodding his head in thought. "It wouldn't be the first time I have heard of such a thing, however I have never actually seen a living example of it before."

Iruka simply stared blankly as the sannin continued to mumble in thought, completely clueless as to what he was going on about. Jiraiya noticed his confusion and quickly smiled at his own foolishness.

"Ah, forgive me, I guess it would be better if I explained. You see, the nature of seals are almost as varied as one can possibly imagine, as well as their purposes. From simple storage seals to the more advanced ones such as that which holds the Kyuubi sealed in Naruto, there purpose is almost limitless."

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Iruka mumbled, somewhat frustrated by his own lack of understanding. "But what about the seals on Naruto's body?"

"Hahahah! I was getting to that." Jiraiya laughed in return, amused by Iruka's obvious concern.

"Well, let me put it this way. When a shinobi performs a jutsu, they normally produce a series of hand 'seals' in order to unlock specific chakra pathways in their body, allowing them to mold it to the desired state and nature. Once the chakra has been molded sufficiently, they can perform the jutsu."

Iruka nodded his head in understanding as Jiraiya continued to explain, signifying that he was following so far. After all, being an academy teacher had its benefits and he already had extensive knowledge on how a jutsu was performed. The older man across from him noted the gesture and then continued.

"Now in Naruto's case, the seals on his body may actually serve to replace hands seals in this regard. Instead of performing a series of hand signs in order to unlock his chakra pathways, Naruto would instead run his chakra through the necessary seals on his body in order to achieve the desired state and then simply mold it accordingly."

"Oh, that explains why he never used any hand signs when he showed me his new jutsu." Iruka recalled. Jiraiya nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, indeed. This 'system' serves two purposes. Firstly it allows the user to perform jutsu more spontaneously, without having to take the necessary time to perform signs. However, the main purpose would be to protect the secrets of the user's jutsu from being copied or stolen from the user's enemies. You see, there are very few seal masters in the world who would be able to create such advanced seals and even fewer who could copy them flawlessly, even doujutsu such as the Sharingan cannot copy them. However, there is one thing that bothers me..."

"What?" Iruka gulped, not to keen the sannin's last choice of words.

"Well, the thing is, systems like this were never implemented due to their complexities and dangers. Those few that were used never went beyond simple seal designs used for lesser purposes. However, the patterns on Naruto's body..."

Jiraiya then closed his eyes in thought, as if to merely contemplate the mysteries and wonders of Naruto's past heritage. It was clear to Iruka right at that very moment, that even for Jiraiya, such a thing was difficult to contemplate.

"I have never seen such a complex design before..." The sannin finally continued, releasing his words in a heavy breath.

"The markings on Naruto's body cover him from head to toe, enveloping him completely. Normally, such a feat would be impossible to perform without killing the person it is used on due to the dangers and strain it can incur, in fact not even I could hope to match it. The thing is, there isn't a single living person who could have created such a complex design. Whatever created these seals on Naruto's body, it is simply beyond human understanding. I would not even be able to guess as to where they originated from."

Iruka narrowed his eyes in thought as Jiraiya finished his explanation, allowing a few moments of silence between them, before speaking up in return.

"Well, the first time we saw those markings was after Naruto came into contact with the scroll you gave him." He explained, remembering the first time he had laid eyes on the intricate 'tattoos' that ran across Naruto's skin. "Is it possible that they were transferred to him when he opened it?"

"I doubt that..." Jiraiya replied, shaking his head.

"To initiate such a transfer through something like that would be relatively impossible, especially considering the precision of the design. It is more likely that Naruto was born with them and that they simply remained dormant until the scroll 'released' them. It was probably a precautionary measure used by his predecessors so the seals could not be used until their wielder was old enough to understand and control them properly. I think we may have unlocked them a bit early for Naruto's sake, but it is too late to do anything about it now. It also explains why they did not interfere with the Kyuubi's sealing as well."

"Why do you say that?" Iruka enquired once more, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well, I'm sure you noticed how Naruto's markings responded when Mikomi tried to heal him. They seem to react negatively to any outside chakra source that tries to enter his body while they are active, probably as a defensive measure to protect him from outside harm. Any seals added to his body in future may be rejected as well in the same manner. The only reason the Fourth's seal worked at all was because Naruto's were still dormant at the time it was applied, and when they were released, they obviously accepted the Kyuubi's seal as already being a natural part of Naruto's body. In fact during my inspection, I found that they actually seemed to reinforce the seal that holds the Nine-tails intact."

Iruka sighed in relief in response to the explanation, somewhat glad that something good had finally arisen from what otherwise seemed to be nothing but a mystery. He then rubbed the boy's shoulder soothingly, who was still sleeping silently in his arms, completely oblivious to the conversation taking place around him.

"There is just one thing that confuses me." The chunin mumbled as he continued to hold the boy in his gaze.

"Naruto managed to create a seal on his hand similar to the ones that cover his body as a means to summon his sword, Ryuuga. It was fairly small and nowhere near as complex as the others covering him but the fact that he managed to even design it at all and the fact that that his body accepted it is odd."

"It must be the nature of the seal..." Jiraiya responded. "Perhaps it was created that way in order to give the user a choice whether to use it or not. After all, forming such a bond with a weapon is almost as personal as signing a summoning contract, so the seal must have been designed in a way that made it acceptable to the ones on his body. Either way, it seems we have ourselves a potential seal master in that boy if he was able to create one with no prior experience."

Iruka seemed to agree with the explanation, although he never made any motion to respond. Jiraiya easily noticed the yawn that escaped the chunin's tired lips moments later and smiled warmly, before standing from his seat and heading over to the window.

"Well, it seems you are just as tired as Naruto was." He grinned cheekily. "I think it is about time I took my leave and allowed the two of you to rest properly. I will continue to investigate this interesting development we have stumbled upon. Hopefully, with Naruto's assistance, we can uncover more about these markings on his body and their true nature as well."

The sannin then jumped out of the window, swiftly disappearing from view once more. Iruka could no longer see him once he was gone, but he suspected that the sannin would not wander too far from them.

_'He could have just used the door.'_ He smiled inwardly. _'But then again, he would probably tell me there was no fun in doing something like that.'_

The chunin then relaxed his head back into the pillow touching at his neck, allowing another tired yawn to stretch from his lips as his exhaustion began to claim his eyes. Naruto shuffled slightly in the subtle motion underneath him, mumbling something incoherent under his breath, before settling once more, never giving any more ground for his father to escape his hold.

Iruka, however, did not mind the possessive embrace. He was content to just lie there, happy to feel Naruto's light breathing on his chest as the boy's own chest continued to rise and fall in his deep slumber, as well as the promise of life as it flowed through their contact. It was only moments later when the chunin's own eyes melted away into darkness as well, his own exhaustion now enrapturing him in its inescapable hold.

It was in that moment, as the sun's last rays melted behind the horizon, before settling into the cool shadow darkness, that father and son had once again shared an unknown love and happiness in one another's arms, along with the warmth and comfort to carry them through the night.

--

Sleep held its embrace over the two quietly sleeping figures for the rest of that evening, and it was only the next morning, when the first rising rays of warm sunlight entered the room and bathed it in a comforting and promising glow, that Naruto's eyes finally began to stir open once more.

Only this time, they did not wake from the terror of an awful nightmare nor with a heavy heart ridden with fear. Instead, this time they woke in the comfort of another's arms, and the warm embrace of emotions that flowed from such a gentle and caring soul.

Once the two cerulean irises came into the light that met there gaze, Naruto took a brief moment to look over the room around him, noting with a great deal of comfort that it was the same as it had been when he want to sleep. He was still safe, and he could still feel the comfort of his father's hold around him, keeping his body warm in his arms. After lying there in a few moments of subtle relief, the boy then moved his hands up to his face to wipe away the sleep that still inhabited his eyes, before yawning loudly in an effort to rid his body of fatigue.

"Good morning kiddo."

Naruto quickly looked up as a familiar voice met his ears, only to see the dark brown eyes of Iruka staring back at him along with a soft smile. The sleepy youngster returned the gesture full heartedly, allowing his father the comfort of seeing his eased expression as his cheeks lifted into a grin.

"Morning dad." He mumbled sheepishly in return, stretching his arms out to revive his aching muscles. Naruto was pleased to hear that his voice carried a lot better than it had the previous afternoon and it was far more coherent than the whisper he could barely manage before.

In return, Iruka squeezed him again, although he was careful not to cause Naruto any discomfort. After all, he was still in some pain even though most of his injuries were healing very well. The one on his left shoulder was still not completely recovered and it would probably need some time, but it was looking far better than it had days before.

"Well kid, I think it's about time I got up now. Besides, the doctor will be in to check your wounds soon and to see how you are holding up."

Naruto just nodded his head, although Iruka could clearly see the boy's discomfort at the mention of a doctors visit. He didn't blame Naruto for feeling that way though, after all, the youngster's past experiences definitely warranted such distrust, especially after how he had been treated here during his previous visits.

"Don't worry Naruto, I'll be here the whole time. Just relax and everything will be fine."

Iruka gave one last affectionate rub on the head and then slowly moved out from underneath Naruto, helping the boy back down again once he was standing. He then walked over to the nearby basin and poured a glass of water, before returning to Naruto's side and holding it out to him.

"Here, have a drink, you must be thirsty."

Naruto just smiled warmly at the offer and clasped the glass with both of his hands, before bringing it up to his lips in an effort to drink. Iruka used his free hand to hold against Naruto's back in an effort to help lift him enough to drink properly, while his other hand continued to hold the glass steady in the boy's otherwise shaking hands.

Once Naruto had satisfied himself, Iruka took the glass from his hands and placed it back down on the table.

"Thanks dad." Naruto allowed, as Iruka helped lower him gently to his bed again. "Thanks for always being there for me. Thanks for looking after me..."

"What are fathers for, if not to look after their child and make sure he was happy?" Iruka replied affectionately.

Before Naruto could think to respond, the door slowly pried itself open, before revealing the familiar figure of Dr. Mikomi as he entered the room. Both Iruka and Naruto turned their gaze towards their new visitor, at which the doctor smiled warmly.

"Ah, I see we are finally awake again young man. That is good news indeed, especially after the ride you gave us these past few days."

Naruto just continued to stare as the young man spoke with a cheery tune that would seem to lift any soul. Mikimo noticed the unwavering blue eyes that had settled on him and flashed another grin in return, before turning to Iruka.

"And now you can finally get some sleep Iruka-san." He laughed cheerfully. "I can already see the bags disappearing from under your eyes."

Iruka simply laughed in return, a gesture that put Naruto somewhat at ease. The boy could see that his father was still relaxed in the other man's presence, which meant he harbored no mistrust towards him.

Once the two had finished sharing their brief moment of relieved humor, Mikomi made his way up to Naruto's side and looked over the boy, as if to inspect him carefully. Naruto shuffled slightly under his gaze, but otherwise remained relatively calm despite his discomfort.

"Alright young man..." The doctor began, pushing up his glasses to allow for better vision. "It seems your injuries are healing nicely, however I will need to run a diagnostics jutsu to make sure they are recovering properly."

Naruto just gulped at the suggestion, before turning his gaze towards his father. Iruka flashed a warm, reassuring smile in response, to which Naruto turned back to face Mikomi again.

"Um..." The boy choked uneasily. "I... I don't... I feel uncomfortable when people touch me. Is it alright if you just look?" Iruka was about to intervene, when Mikomi lifted a hand to halt his tongue.

"Don't worry, there will be no touching necessary during the examination. I am simply going to run some of my chakra through your body in order to better analyze its condition, that's all. Is that alright with you?"

Naruto was still a bit unsure, but the cheerful expression on Mikomi's face quickly eased his tension. He didn't know why, but something felt familiar about this person. Something told the boy that he would be safe under the mans care. After that, Naruto gave his approval in the form of a quiet nod, to which the doctor smiled once more, but before he could make any real effort, Naruto spoke up once more.

"You look... familiar..." Naruto mumbled, just as Mikomi was about to get to work. "I think I've seen you before." The doctor simply continued his preparations, before holding his hand a few centimeters away from Naruto's bandaged chest, just near the area around his shoulder.

"Well, from what I hear, this isn't the first time you have been in here..." He finally replied, running his chakra into the palm of his hands. "... so I'm sure you must have seen me in the hallways at some point. I do get around quite a lot."

Naruto just sank his head back into the pillow after that, content with the answer given to him. Soon afterwards, a soft green light began to pulse around Mikomi's hands, before moving down to envelope Naruto's body. After a brief inspection of the boy's chest and shoulders, the doctor then moved his hands further down his body, scanning Naruto's legs and then completing his analysis.

"Well, it seems as though everything is coming along nicely. I am pleased to report that most of your internal injures, minus the wound around your shoulder, have just about completely healed. Your shoulder wound has closed nicely as well and the muscles in that area have already mended quite sufficiently, so it shouldn't be long before you can leave the hospital. I will check back later and see how you are doing."

With that, Mikomi made his way out of the room once more, leaving only Iruka and Naruto behind. After a few moments of silence, the chunin turned to his younger counterpart and raised his eyebrows at the expression on Naruto's face. It was obvious that the boy was pleased to hear that he would be allowed out soon, especially considering how relaxed he looked.

"Well, I think it is about time you let your companion know how you are doing, am I right?" Iruka grinned, to which Naruto looked up at him with a confused expression. "After all, I bet he's worried sick about you after being left in the dark for so long."

It took a while for the boy to realize just who his father was talking about, but soon his mind clicked into gear and his eyes widened in stunned surprise.

"Oh boy, he's gonna kill me when he sees me." Naruto gulped, to which Iruka laughed.

"Hahahaha!!! Well then, it would be best if you got to summoning him already. We wouldn't want to make him wait any longer."

At that, Naruto slowly pushed himself upright off his bed, until he was in a relatively comfortable sitting positions. He then raised his hands up together, noting with a great deal of satisfaction that he could now move his left arm more easily, before biting his thumb and forming a familiar series of hand seals.

**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"** The boy then slammed his palm into the mattress before him, creating a plume of white smoke as the jutsu took effect while covering the bed in a small dense fog.

Before Naruto could even peer into the opaque cloud before him, a sharp cry caught his ears from inside.

**"Naruto-chan!!!!"** A small bronze figure flashed into view not even a second later, leaping from the white plume and straight into Naruto's chest, eliciting a sharp, surprised yelp from the boy as he was knocked back down into the bed.

"I missed you so much! I was so worried that something had happened after you didn't summon me! Why didn't you summon me?!?!" Iruka simply laughed as he watched the small dragon continue to jump up and down on Naruto's chest, effectively winding the boy and hampering any attempts he made to reply."

"Hold... ugh.. on buddy..." The boy finally managed, in between his desperate breaths. "You're hurting me... I'm sorry, alright..." Ryuukimi seemed to calm down at that and he quickly halted in his excitement, stepping back slightly onto Naruto's lap and allowing the boy some much needed oxygen.

"But... I was so scared." He mumbled lowly. "You promised me you would summon me as soon as you got back. You promised... but I waited for so long..."

Naruto picked himself up into a sitting position again, with Ryuukimi still on his lap, before placing his arms around the small dragon and pulling him up close against his chest. He then leaned his head down into the hug and whispered softly.

"I... I'm so sorry buddy, I really am. It's just that, things didn't work out the way I hoped and I was sleeping for a while. I didn't mean to make you worry so much." Ryuukimi just sighed despondently, before giving into the gesture and allowing himself to relax in Naruto's arms.

"It's okay." He finally replied. "I'm just glad you're alright. You just... really know how to make me nervous." Naruto just giggled slightly at that.

"Yeah, apparently I do that a lot, or at least that's what dad told me. I'd hate to think what's going to happen when Anko-neesan gets a hold of me." Everyone in the room began laughing at that and Naruto couldn't help but giggle nervously as well.

That he would deal with later, provided he survived long enough.

The rest of that morning was spent simply relaxing in one another's company, as Naruto and Ryuukimi caught up on the missing days lost between them, although Ryuukimi did most of the talking, with Naruto having a complete lack of any memory beyond his dreams regarding his time in sleep.

It was a bit later when a nurse came in with Naruto's breakfast, which the boy promptly gulped down with little trouble. Hospital food was very poor in comparison to the food he ate at home and Iruka even noticed, much to his ire, that it was very poorly prepared for Naruto, but the youngster did not seem to take any notice any of that.

It was the first solid food he had eaten in days, and anything was better than scraping for what little they could manage in the forest during their time lost in the Fire Country. Besides, the food at the orphanage was still a lot worse, so he did not seem to be affected in the slightest.

--

Later that day, Mikomi came in for another checkup, but was pleased to notice that Naruto was recovering rather quickly since he had woken up. It would not be long before he would be allowed to check out, so things were definitely looking positive. Ryuukimi, however, was not too pleased with the intrusion in the least bit and was on sharp alert the entire time, but he relaxed somewhat after seeing that the man clearly meant no harm to Naruto.

It did not stop him from remaining at the boy's side, though, or it would be more accurate to say firmly fixed to his lap.

"Well, it looks like I can finally allow you some visitors now." The doctor smiled as he finished his latest inspection, before making his way over to the door before opening it to allow his new guests' entry. "After all, they've been nagging me to let them see you the whole day, so I guess its high time I granted their wish."

Soon afterwards, three familiar figures came into view through the entrance to Naruto's room, with Kakashi appearing first, holding an all too familiar small orange book in his hand, while Kurenai followed in full glare after him. Naruto chuckled slightly at the sight of her obvious frustration regarding her companion's choice in reading material, but his amusement was sharply cut off as a loud voice interrupted his thoughts and announced the identity of the third guest.

"Damn it!!! It's about time you let us come in!!! How long did you expect us to wait before we could see the little brat?!?!?!" Mikomi bowed his head apologetically as Anko came strolling past him into view, regarding the doctor with a great deal of distaste.

"I apologize Mitarashi-san, but I had to make sure he was well enough before he saw anyone. Too much excitement could have worsened his condition if we weren't careful."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." The jounin retorted, shrugging him off, before turning her attention to her objective. "And there's the little gaki himself, grinning at me stupidly like he's done nothing wrong."

Naruto's grin just widened at the playful jab, but he couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved by the woman's wicked smile. He knew he was in for it, and all he could do was try his best to help lessen the blow. He hoped his smile would have the desired result.

"Anko-neesan, Kakashi-niisan, Kurenai-neesan! It's so good to see you!!!" The boy boasted happily, grinning at his visitors madly. Kurenai and Kakashi just looked at each other somewhat dumbfounded, both pondering on their new titles so readily given by the boy before them. Anko, on the other hand, simply stepped up to the bubbling youngster's bed and knocked him over the head with a precise blow, eliciting a small, painful yelp as her knuckles knocked against his crown.

"Ow! what was that for?!?!" The boy groaned, rubbing his head to ease the throb that had formed.

"That was for making me worry so much, ya brat! I think I gained a couple of pounds at the dango store because of you. Don't you know how hard it is for a woman to shed her weight?" Before Naruto could even think to respond, the jounin knelt down in front of him and pulled him into a hug, startling him with her sudden change in tone.

"Damn it gaki, don't ever scare me like that again." She whispered softly, betraying her real emotions clearly through her touch. "Otherwise, I'm really gonna have to take you out myself next time." Naruto giggled softy at that, and then returned the hug with all the strength he could. It felt good, just bathing in the strong emotions coming from her touch.

"Yeah, I know you would. You are a psycho after all..." Anko's eyebrow twitched at the sudden jab hurled at her and Naruto quickly pulled out of the hug as he felt the sudden and very sharp change in her emotions, before smacking his hands up against his gaping mouth.

"Oops, did I say that out loud?" He mumbled through his fingers, his eyes widened with shock. Anko just nodded her head slowly, trying her best to hide her waking wrath as well as the throbbing vein on her forehead.

"Yeah, you did, you little brat. You're lucky I am in a good mood right now, otherwise you would have been spending a few more nights here above the norm. That smile of yours may work on Kurenai quite well, but it won't always protect you from me." After that, the jounin stepped aside and allowed her fellow companions to share their greetings as well, Kurenai giving hers in the form of an affectionate hug and a small peck on the forehead, while Kakashi simply waved as he normally did under such circumstances.

It was only a few minutes later, while everyone was finally settling down, that another knock was heard on the door, announcing the arrival of yet another visitor. Iruka quickly moved to answer it and let a despondent Shikamaru inside, pushing what looked to be a very grumpy Kiba in front of him in a wheelchair.

"Shikamaru, Kiba!" Naruto shouted, seeing the two appear into view. Kiba's face immediately seemed to lift at the greeting and he flashed a feral grin in return, baring his slightly enlarged canines enthusiastically.

"Hey Naruto!" He shouted in reply. Shikamaru, however, simply rubbed his ears in annoyance and to ease his suffering hearing.

"Sheesh, must you two be so loud? How troublesome. Anyway, I thought we would just pop in to say hi, seeing as how we were in the area and all. We decided to visit you when we heard what room you were stuck in. Grumpy socks over here has been itching to get out for a while and I got stuck pushing him around."

"Hey, I'm not grumpy!" Kiba retorted, sticking his tongue out at the Nara. "I'm just bored. You try sitting in a wheelchair all day and see how you feel."

Naruto's face fell into a frown as he looked over the rowdy Inuzuka, feeling more than a bit guilty about the injuries the boy had sustained for his sake. Kiba, however, noticed the sudden fall in his expression and smiled reassuringly.

"Hey Naruto, don't worry about me. Besides, I think if we were having a contest for best mummy in Konoha, you would have won easily with all those bandages on you." The young blond cheered up at that and he nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"So, what are you doing here Shikamaru?" Iruka finally intervened. "I don't recall you being injured, so are you just here to visit Naruto and Kiba?" The young Nara just shook his head, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Not exactly, I find hospitals quite troublesome. Actually, I was here to visit my father. He was also checked in a few days ago and my mom said I should see how he was doing. I think that in the contest for best mummy, he would probably win at this stage."

"Oh, was he injured?" Kakashi enquired curiously. "He looked fine while we were on our way back to Konoha."

"Actually, everything was fine during the trip back, if you don't count Kiba's constant wining while his mom carried him." The said boy just pouted in annoyance, with his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment, something that made everyone in the room laugh.

"However..." Shikamaru continued. "When we got back, my mom got a hold of him and then all hell broke loose, and so here we are. He still can't move his jaw to eat properly, so they have him on a liquid diet for the time-being. Ino's and Chouji's dad's wouldn't stop laughing the whole time when they came to see him."

Anko couldn't help contain her laughter as the vivid description of what had happened ran through her mind, causing everyone to stare at her in stunned silence as she giggled maniacally.

**"YEAH! NOW THAT'S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!! THAT'S MY KIND OF WOMAN!!!" **Shikamaru, however, just leaned closer to Naruto as Anko continued her flashy, chaotic display and whispered into the boy's ear.

"Is... she always like this?" Naruto simply nodded his head knowingly.

"Yeah, in fact this is her on a good day. You should see what she's like during training." The Nara simply shivered at the mere thought of it, muttering something about troublesome crazy woman under his breath. Having one woman like his mother was bad enough as it was and he dared not think about what would happen should the two ever meet.

--

That afternoon, after spending a day together and sharing their stories between one another as well as recapping on days past, everyone finally said their goodbyes and made their way out once more, leaving only Naruto, Iruka and Ryuukimi behind. The three jounin of the group had left first, citing a meeting called by the Hokage, while Shikamaru and Kiba made their way off a bit later. Once their visitors had left, the young blond, whose room they had all occupied, sighed despondently and fell back into his bed in exhaustion.

If anyone else were to see him, they would simply say he was only tired, but Iruka knew the truth behind the matter and it was painfully obvious to the chunin that Naruto was disappointed that Hinata and Lee had not come to visit him yet.

"Hey kiddo, are you alright?" The boy just let out a deep breath and looked over to where Iruka was sitting, his eyes clearly betraying his emotions as they emptied of the joy that held them only moments before.

"Do you... think that Hinata will be allowed to visit me?" Iruka just shook his head in dismay, unable to give the answer he would have preferred.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't know at this point. Hiashi may want to keep her under his protection for a while, especially after everything that has happened, after all she is the heir to the Hyuuga clan above anything else and their duties come first."

"I understand..." Naruto grumbled in reply. "I wonder where Lee is as well. I was hoping to see him too."

Iruka was somewhat surprised by how well the youngster seemed to manage himself, even though he was clearly upset. Ryuukimi, seeing his companion's distress, simply snuggled up to the boy and pressed his head under Naruto's hand, prompting the the blond to stroke the top of his head.

"Don't worry buddy, I'm here for you. I'm sure Lee and Hinata are worried as well and they'll visit as soon as they can." Naruto just nodded his head glumly, for lack of any better response, but the words of his companion did offer some hope depsite everything.

After that, nothing more was said from either of them. However, just before the room could fall into complete silence, one last knock sounded at the door, prompting all eyes to turn in its direction whle igniting a hopeful spark in Naruto's heart. Moments later, as if to answer the boy's silent prayers, two small figures stepped from behind the opening entrance, revealing the smiling faces of Naruto's two best human friends as they wandered into view.

The boy's jaw almost fell slack at the sight of them, and his eyes wavered with the soft shimmer of a slight golden hew, although it was barely recognizable in the warm afternoon sunlight.

"Lee... Hinata..."

**"NARUTO!!!"**

Both said youngsters immediately came running up to the blond's bed, before jumping up onto it and crushing him in an embrace that would make most others pale in comparison.

"We're so happy to see you!" Hinata cried, snuggling up as closely as possible. Lee just smiled as the two of them continued to hold their waking friend, with Naruto eventually returning the hug with just as much warmth and joy.

"Yosh! When I heard what happened from Hinata, I was worried sick about you, but I heard you kicked a lot of but out there. I just wish I could have seen all your training and hard work in action!"

"Yeah, but Hinata was cooler than I was." Naruto replied, his voice muffled by the closeness of their embrace. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have made it as far as I did."

As Iruka continued to watch the trio share their estranged greeting, with Naruto being bathed in the comfort of his friends' arms, another movement caught the corner of his eyes, diverting their gaze back to the door once more only to see Hiashi walk inside. The Hyuuga clan head bowed respectfully in greeting as he entered, to which the chunin returned the gesture in kind.

"So I see you've allowed Hinata to come and visit after all." Iruka offered once they had properly greeted. "I didn't think the elders would be too pleased with allowing something like this, especially after everything that has happened." Hiashi nodded his head knowingly.

"Indeed, they were quite opposed to my decision for bringing Hinata here, however my daughter managed to be quite convincing in her argument to see your son and I could not simply refuse her request. After all, from what I've heard by her description of his actions, I owe this boy my gratitude for saving my daughter's life."

Hiashi then turned his attention back to the three youngsters, who were still caught in a tight embrace, the young blond of the group being hardly given a moment to breath as he was crushed by their overwhelming display of affection. Iruka could almost swear that he saw the makings of a smile touching against the corners of the man's lips, but the ever stoic Hyuuga expression never betrayed any real form of emotion.

"The thick-browed one bumped into us on the way here, so he ended up joining in our visit." The clan head finished.

Iruka was about to respond, but a muffled cry for help caught the attention of his ears and both he and Hiashi turned their attention to the trio between them.

"Um.. guys... **I'M DYING AGAIN!!!!"**

Naruto had obviously also noticed the desperate cry, because he quickly pulled out from the embrace, with Lee and Hinata following suite, only to reveal a heavily panting Ryuukimi sprawled out on the mattress between each of them. Naruto's hands once again found themselves covering his mouth in shock as he realized what had happened.

"Do you guys ever think of me when you start hugging each other?" The small dragon grumbled again, writing himself and standing to his feet once more.

"Hehehe... sorry Ryuukimi..." Naruto smiled sheepishly, before lifting the dragon onto his lap again. "You're just a bit small, so we lose track of you sometimes."

"Great, just great.... make excuses will ya! Talk about being crushed with love..."

With that, the three youngsters began to talk, with Naruto once again beginning to explain the past few days, only this time to Lee, who was eager to learn what had transpired in his absence.

After once again sharing their stories between one another, with Hinata and Naruto recounting their unexpected adventure in the interests of their oldest friend, the three youngsters said finally their goodbyes for the last time that evening. Lee and Hinata both made their way out the door after sharing their fond farewells with Naruto and Iruka, with Hiashi following shortly after them.

However, the older Hyuuga paused just before exiting, once the other two youngsters in front of him had dissapeared from view and from hearing. He then turned his attention back to Naruto, who propped up nervously as the expressionless eyes bore into him with an unnerving gaze.

"It is strange..." The man spoke softly, causing Naruto's face to twist into a confused expression. "My daughter sees so much in you, more than she sees even within the bounds of her own family, even that of her own father. I often stumble upon her training at night, and hear her whispered vows to become strong to protect those who are precious to her, even though I could never attain such dedication from her myself."

"I don't understand..." Naruto squeaked nervously, to which Hiashi sighed.

"Perhaps it is my fault." He continued, while Iruka listened carefully to the exchange between them.

"When her mother died, I was not prepared to be a father. I was raised as a clan head and throughout my entire life I was taught how to handle such a task and to ensure my clans prosperity. When I married Hinata's mother, she completed a side of me that never existed before. She was able to care for that which I could not and she showed the kind of love I simply couldn't express. However..."

The man then went silent for a moment, while Naruto just continued to stare in stunned silence. The boy wasn't sure why Hiashi was telling him all of this, whether it was directed specifically towards him or whether it was just means of relief for an overburdened heart, but he never once interrupted and always listened intently. After a brief, uncomfortable pause, the Hyuuga finally continued, never raising his voice above a low soft tone.

"However... when my wife died, I was left to take care of our daughters alone. I did not know how to handle such a daunting task, so I relied on the one aspect of my being I had perfected so well. I raised Hinata as a clan head and not as a father and I tried my best to instill the same strength in her that had been instilled in me, but it seems I only ended up pushing her away by doing so. What is it, that you have done so differently, to bring such strength and happiness forth from her heart? What must I do to see that for myself instead of the coldness that lingers between us? Why is it so hard?"

Naruto remained silent for a moment, un-answering in the uneasy moments that followed. Hiashi, noting the boy's lack of response, closed his eyes and cursed himself silently, realizing that he was burdening a mere child with such a difficult question that the boy couldn't possibly hope to answer in his youthful innocence. Realizing his mistake, the older Hyuuga then turned back to make his way out the door. However, before he could exit the room, Naruto called out softly to him, stopping the man in his tracks.

"It... it isn't hard..."

Hiashi turned around again and regarded the boy curiously, while Iruka just smiled instead. The chunin already knew what answer lay within the boy's heart without even needing to hear it and it brought a great deal of comfort to him, knowing that Naruto had grown so strong over the past few months.

"It's really easy..." The boy finally continued, raising his voice just a bit more. "All she wants is for you to love her, to care for her and hold her in your arms, that's all. At the end of the day there is nothing else that is important, its just love, that is the only thing that matters in the end. I know because..."

The boy then turned his gaze to Iruka, sharing in the man's warm smile and smiling softly himself in return.

"... I know because that's all I ever wanted. It was all I ever needed to give me strength and to make me happy. To show someone love, I think that is the best gift you can give them, and its the only way to make them truly happy. If you just love her, I think things will get better."

Hiashi just stood there in silence, as if to contemplate the answer given to him, before bowing softly. This time, however, both Iruka and Naruto could see the barely visible smile spread across his lips.

"Very well then, it seems you have a wisdom on this matter beyond that of my own. I will consider your words carefully indeed young one, but for now I must be leaving. I wish you a good night and a hasty recovery."

The Hyuuga then made his way out the door, leaving a very stunned Naruto and Iruka behind. Ryuukimi just glanced in between the two as they continued to stare after the now absent Hyuuga and then shook his head despondently.

"Man, you humans are so complicated..."

--

The next few days went pretty much the same for the young blond as he continued his recovery in the hospital.

That is to say very, VERY slowly.

However, his friends never left him alone in the drab confines of his room for long and both Lee and Hinata made every effort to visit him whenever possible. Hinata could not visit as often as the enthusiastic Lee though and when she was allowed to come, it was always under the watchful eye of a branch family member, but it was enough to keep Naruto happy just seeing her from time to time.

Iruka was there all the time as well and even slept inside the hospital room at night, partly to make sure Naruto was comfortable and at ease, knowing he was not alone, and partly to protect the boy from any possible follow up attack that may have occurred during his vulnerability.

Jiraiya was almost always there as well, even though he could not always be seen. However, Iruka was deeply comforted simply knowing that the sannin was always nearby and it helped him sleep better at night knowing that Naruto was under the watchful gaze of such a powerful figure.

It also helped his nerves that Ryuukimi would always sleep at the boy's side, or in most cases, on top of him, always present and constantly sheltering the blond under his protective wings. It made the chunin feel warm inside, just seeing the small bronze dragon huddle up so closely to his young human companion and the bond they shared between them was clearly displayed in the affection and loyalty he could see in Ryuukimi's actions to keep Naruto from harm.

It was four days after Naruto had woken up for the first time since getting back to Konoha, that Mikomi had finally cleared him for departure after removing the bandages from his body and making sure that he was fine to leave. It was on the very evening of that fourth day that he and Iruka both made their way from the hospital's entrance, with Ryuukimi still riding the boy's shoulders as he had always done before.

The late afternoon rays of warm sunlight slowly began to creep away into darkness soon afterwards as both father and son stood there in the soft glow that touched against them, before allowing for the cool, crisp evening air to settle against their skin.

Iruka looked down to the boy beside him and smiled fondly, seeing Naruto healed from his wounds and free of the bandages that covered him days before. He then placed his had on the boy's head and ruffled his hair affectionately, gaining his cerulean eyes as well as a warm smile in return. He then lowered his hand once more and offered it to Naruto, who regarded it with a happy, joyful grin.

"Well son, I guess its time to head home now. Are you ready to go?" Naruto took a hold of the hand offered to him into his own, never once letting the soft smile slip off his face, and then squeezed it tightly. He then looked up to his father again, his eyes now glowing in the soft gold of his emotions and the love that harbored inside his heart.

"Yeah... I'm ready. Let's go home... dad..."

The two then made there way towards the fast disappearing sunset and to their awaiting home, striding forward into the future with the strength of one another's love and the hope held in each other's hands. It was a strength that would always embrace both their hearts closely together and it was also one that would always be shared through their touch, as long as the other's hand was there to hold.

Now that strength led them home once more, as well as the hope of a better future.

_'Home... I will always be home as long as dad is at my side...'_

--

**AN:** Alright, that is it for this arch. It was a long road with many twists and turns, but now we move onto the next faze in Naruto's life and all the adventure that comes with it.

I was actually very pleased with this chapter and how it came out. It was a bit long and I had a lot to get through before it was over, but I think I managed to wrap it up nicely. Unfortunately, because of the length, I had to leave out one scene that I had hoped to fit in, regarding a certain someone, but that will still come soon enough.

Anyway, my writing also seems to have improved quite a bit following my fairly reasonable absence, but I think it was something that may have been necessary for me to refocus on what I was doing. I also hope things will start to settle down now, so that I can get back into my more frequent updates. I will not abandon this story any time soon, circumstances have simply held me off it for a while. Hopefully, they won't hold me back any more.

I also have a new Poll up on my profile, so feel free to drop by and give me your opinion. This time, it is regarding what you are looking forward to most in the new arch. If there is something I did not put there, feel free to PM me and I will add it to the choices given.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!! ^ ^

**Notes:**

**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!****"** = Summoning Jutsu!

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD   
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	39. Chapter 39 A Shadow Emerges

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**Beta Reader:** Kiiroi Senko! XD

**AN:** Hey everyone, at long last the next phase of my story begins.

Anyway, I have been thinking about a few things for a while and I have come to some sort of a realization. You see, the thing is, I have been letting the views of others influence my writing for too long now and I have begun to realize that it is actually hurting my enjoyment of the hobby I love so much.

I am always worrying about the way others see my work and as a result I have become indecisive about the direction my story is going to take, which in turn is causing massive delays to the rate at which my new chapters are released. My decisions are starting to become based on the ways others perceive my work, rather than by my own inclination, and I think that is part of the reason I have found it so hard to write lately, besides the fact that things have been hectic in my life.

I just can't write something that isn't mine, it just doesn't feel natural and it makes it harder for me...

So, I have finally come to a decision. For better or for worse, this story is mine. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but it is an expression of myself as a writer and as such I will no longer allow myself to be influenced in a way that makes me feel less than what I am. I will still accept criticism, and allow it to guide me to become a better writer, but I will no longer allow it to influence anything beyond that with regards to my story and who I am.

There are many other stories out there, each of them different and unique. This is mine and I aim to keep it that way, so I hope you enjoy the ride. ^ ^

--

**Chapter 39 - A Shadow Emerges**

The soft clatter of heavy footsteps echoed across the silent halls of a darkened building, whispering across the cool night air as a shadowy figure silently crept across its empty path, bringing their owner ever closer to his awaiting destination. Two shifting eyes continued to dart nervously about their surrounding, as if to carefully search for a hidden danger that might let loose upon them at any moment, until finally they settled on a single, lone door standing isolated at the end of the darkened hall, followed shortly by the nervous, shaky hand that reached out to open it to the darkness waiting behind.

Once safely inside the confines of the room, and sure that they were safe from any prying hearts, the figure then stepped forward towards an ever-waiting shadow and bowed down to his knees in a show of fearful respect to the figure of authority, before finally breaking the deadly silence that consumed them both with carefully offered words.

"You.... called for me... my lord?"

The figure before him then turned around and drew into its gaze the trembling form that was set at his feet, as if seemingly overwhelmed by the burden of darkness that now fell upon his shoulders with a burning weight that ate at his very conscious. The hiss of a whisper that fell from the shadow's tongue soon afterwards carried across the room with a hateful malice that would shake even the strongest of hearts to its very core.

"Ah... Mayakashi, it pleases me that you answered my summons with such haste. Loyalty and obedience is rewarded by the grace of my will, so it is wise that you came as soon as you did. You may stand..."

The said man hesitated at first despite the invitation offered, as if expecting the hidden scorn of his unusually gracious host, but soon he was at his feet once more, with his head still bowed slightly in respect to the presence that met with him. After a few more moments of silence between both men, the host spoke again, only this time his voice was wrought with an unwavering tone of discontent, unmistakably clear in his disgruntled expression.

"So, it would appear that our efforts to destroy even just a single child have been met with fruitless results and yet still more time has passed with him remaining safely unharmed under the protection of his guardians. Perhaps I overestimated the capability of your men, or perhaps I simply underestimated the strength we seek to destroy."

Mayakashi bowed his head even more at that, clearly shaken by the words addressed to him. The amount of fear that emanated from his being at that very moment was merely choked out by the malice that grew about him and his trembling became that much more apparent in the wake of his master's disapproval.

"I... ap-p-p... apologize my lord, b-b-but the boy was rescued before he could be effectively eliminated. It... seems as though he has powerful allies watching out for his safety and they are unwilling to see him readily harmed. I tried to report our failure as soon as I heard of his survival, but I was unable to contact you to relay such information. In the same token, I have been unable to act any further against the child due to the fact that he is rarely left alone and unprotected, so I was waiting patiently for news from my lord so that I might take action."

The figure across from the man simply hissed lowly in frustration, but did not make any other motion to respond despite the malice oozing from the shadow of his gaze. Instead, he simply remained unmoved, only offering to speak once more.

"I suspected that there might have been some resistance to our plans..." He announced calmly, never once betraying the wrath hidden in the wake of his breath.

"... Which is why I have been waiting in the shadows for so long, while carefully weaving the delicate tapestry of hatred that flows so easily into the hearts of men. Soon our time to strike will present itself once more and this time failure will not arise so easily."

Mayakashi raised his head carefully to meet the gaze that was cast back at him, somewhat shocked by the words that met his hearing.

"But my lord, surely our chance is lost to us." He mumbled regrettably.

"To recreate such a rare opportunity where the boy would become vulnerable as we had before, especially after our last failed attempt to kill him, would be near impossible at this point, especially considering the fact that his protectors are now aware of our efforts."

"Yes, that may be true..." The shadow of a man responded. "... but it has been almost a year since we last struck and we have been carefully biding our time since then. Even overly cautious hearts may become complacent in times of safety and it is that sense of security that we will soon take advantage of. Only... only this time, you will be given the chance to end him with your own hands."

Mayakahi's eyes widened at the sudden offer seemingly presented to him, but that did not prevent the wicked smile that managed to creep onto the corner of his lips despite his obvious surprise and his still lingering sense of dread.

"You... you mean..."

"Yes, you assume correctly." The voice goaded on.

"I am giving you that which your heart desires above all else, I am offering you the opportunity to take the life that you wish to see suffer so much, with your own two bare hands. To take revenge for the loves lost to you and to see your victim's eyes become empty and lifeless in your own remorseless grip. That is the reward I am offering to you for your loyalty to me and as such, failure on your part will not be permitted. I expect you will not disappoint me when the time to act arrives."

The academy instructor bowed his head graciously, clearly pleased by his newly given role.

"I will not fail you, my lord." He announced confidently.

The man then turned to make his way out of the door, leaving the shadowy presence of his employer waiting in the darkness that lingered behind. However, in his haste to leave, he could not see the wicked smile that followed after him, nor the knowing glint in such darkened eyes as they watched him disappear from view.

The trap had already been set and the bait would soon fall as the perpetrator of ill will, drawing attention away from the real threat at hand.

_'Yes, you are too easy to bend to my will. Your hatred is such that it would blind you from the danger you so readily walk into for the sake of your lust for vengeance, but it no longer matters whether or not you fail me. Your use has already ended and my plans are set as my own. My shadow has spread swiftly in the hearts of the people of this village and soon it will be too strong to be opposed. The last wielder of the Tenraigan will inevitably fall to its malice and his suffering will know no bounds once he is trapped firmly in my snare.'_

--

Elsewhere, under the shimmering light of the years latest full moon, another weary soul slowly made its way home after a long day of work, having just come back from an inconveniently timed meeting between the head academy officials about the upcoming genin examinations. It was a soul ignorant of the malicious plans set out in the very darkness he now made his way through himself.

Iruka took a brief moment to glance up at the still rising orb of white light that made its way ever higher amongst the stars, even as he continued to make his way forward in the cool night air, and sighed tiredly before allowing his eyes to resettle on the dusty road that stretched before his feet once more.

"Man, I was held up there much later than I had expected." He grumbled quietly to himself, somewhat frustrated. "I hope Naruto is alright being at home by himself for so long, although he has probably gone to bed by now knowing his sleeping patterns."

_'Not before finishing off a good portion of the instant ramen I brought for him.'_ He added mentally, allowing a brief flicker of a smile to cross his lips.

The man then let out another tired breath, his exhaustion now becoming clearly apparent in his wavering visage despite his reveling amusement, however Iruka was immensely pleased when he saw the front gates to their home slowly inch into view as he rounded the next corner.

"Ah... home at last... and not a minute too soon." He announced cheerfully. "I better check to see if Naruto is sleeping well."

Iruka didn't waste any time in making his way up to the door of their house and just as soon as he reached it, he was already inside the safe confines of its walls. As he entered into the living room thereafter, the chunin noted immediately that all the lights had already been put out, leaving only darkness to welcome him, but his eyes had long since adjusted to the lack of illumination so he had little problem finding his way around the darkened rooms.

_'I guess that means Naruto has already gone to sleep, as I thought.'_

After packing away his files, Iruka then made his way to Naruto's bedroom, if only to check on the safety of his son, but when he entered quietly through the door, an empty bed devoid of any presence was all that met his gaze. Iruka drew a deep, nervous breath, citing the apparent absence of the youngster, but before he could panic a barely audible noise caught the attention of his ears, drawing his gaze to the window that looked out into the moonlit garden stretched out before its view.

"Someone's outside..."

The young man then cautiously made his way out of the bedroom and into the courtyard leading to the garden, with the barely noticeable echoes of a silent motion cutting the very air with itself with its whispered call, growing ever louder and that much more prevalent as he approached their origins. Soon, Iruka man came to the very source of the commotion, only to see the soft glowing light of the glyphs that marked the length of Naruto's blade piercing through the darkness with the warmth of their light.

The scarred chunin quickly paused in his advance, realizing that the boy had not seen his approach, and then stood aside to watch carefully. What he saw was as breathtaking as it was surprising, as Naruto continued to maneuver about gracefully, motioning through different stances while swinging his sword in a delicate display of acrobatic grace not seen in most youngsters of his age.

The way the glyphs on Ryuuga seemed to momentarily flicker with life as Naruto swung or thrust forward with a stunning precision, as if to match the actions of its wielder's heart, was only further enhanced as the gentle wisps of moonlight reflected and shimmered off the surface of the clear, platinum blade. The enchanting sight created by such a mesmerizing dance of colour and motion, as well as the enchanting flickers silver and gold light, was enough to leave the chunin witnessing it frozen in a stunned silence, his mouth agape with wonder.

After a few minutes of watching quietly, Iruka finally decided it was time to announce his presence, and he did so with a carefully timed cough just as Naruto fell back into a ready stance after another carefully placed blow directed seemingly towards an imaginary assailant.

"Ahem! That was quite an impressive performance, if I do say so myself."

The young boy, however, was somewhat startled by the sudden interruption and almost visibly jumped at the resounding noise. The blade in his hand also lit up in warning as well, as if reacting to his startled fright, but quickly settled down again as Naruto turned his gaze to see his father's approach.

"Oh dad... it's you..." He gulped nervously, before placing his sword to rest at his side. "You... you just scared me for a moment there."

Iruka simply smiled at the boy's obvious surprise and then stepped up to where Naruto was standing, before looking down at the young container with a forlorn expression. However, despite his cheer, he could easily see something in the boy's eyes that told him Naruto was clearly troubled, something that unsettled him as he noticed the hint of lingering dread reflecting back at him.

"Couldn't sleep huh?" The chunin suggested gently, to which Naruto just nodded his head.

"I... I thought maybe practicing a bit might help me relax, so I came outside where there was more space. Besides... it's..." Naruto then looked up at the moon shining down on them, before allowing his gaze to soften in the view of its beauty.

"... It's peaceful out here. It makes me feel a bit better when I can see the stars shining so clearly, it makes me feels comfortable inside..."

Iruka just motioned his head in understanding before making his way over to the swinging wooden bench standing near the plants and trees that bordered the edge of the garden. He then set himself down on its cool surface and patted his hand by his side, inviting Naruto to take a place next to him.

"Come on kiddo, I think you need to relax a bit."

Naruto seemed hesitant at first, but eventually let out a deep breath soon afterwards and then nodded his head in compliance. He then lifted Ryuuga up in his hand until the blade was pointing towards the stars and gently released his grip on its hilt. However, instead of falling to the ground as one might have expected, the blade was enveloped in a soft golden light, before dissolving into a shimmering cloud of dust and being carried away by a gentle breeze.

The boy then smiled softly and ran up to Iruka's side, before jumping up onto the swing and seating himself close to his father. Iruka responded by placing his arm around the youngster's shoulders, before drawing him even closer and squeezing him tightly, something that caused Naruto to giggle in his excitement as the warmth of the man's hold seeped into his skin, while his eyes flashed a playful gold.

"I see you've gotten a lot better at wielding Ryuuga now." Iruka offered gently, once they were both comfortable. "You must have been practicing a lot these last few months."

Naruto just looked up and grinned happily in light of the praise offered to him, something that warmed Iruka's heart in the wake of his happy smile.

"Yeah, it's still a bit big for me to hold properly and balancing can be difficult, but I'm getting used to it." The boy announced cheerfully. "The scroll was useful too, even though it is hard to understand sometimes without someone to teach me. It did have a lot of different techniques for me to practice with though, so that really helped me get better. But...."

The young blond then lowered his head again and Iruka could immediately feel his sudden shift in emotions.

"But... It's still hard to use Ryuuga, because I haven't grown that much. I'm still the shortest in our class and it feels like I haven't gotten anywhere in the last year." The chunin sitting beside him simply grinned, if only to offer some form of comfort, before squeezing Naruto even more.

"Don't worry kiddo, I'm sure you'll hit a growth spurt sometime soon, you just need to be a little bit more patient. After all everyone is different, but what makes you special is something more than your height or strength will ever be able to show. Besides, that isn't the reason I love you."

Naruto felt his heart swell at the kind words offered to him, valuing them even more considering the man the came from. He then slowly lowered his head down onto Iruka's chest, allowing himself the luxury of simply bathing in the warm feelings offered through their contact. Iruka responded by running his hand through the boy's hair as they continued to sit there in silence, but even the moment shared between them could not help the lingering tension forming at the tip of his stomach, nor the foul taste that had gathered in his mouth.

In truth, he knew that Naruto had been training a lot over the past year, especially since the catastrophe that had visited them during their training excursion into the forests of the Fire Country. He also knew that it was, in part, the boy's desire to become stronger and to protect those that were close to him that drove his actions and it worried the chunin that the boy was still suffering from the effects of what had happened so many months ago.

Despite the peace he could feel running into his body through the contact shared between them, Iruka could still sense the lingering tension hidden in the warmth that otherwise ran from Naruto's touch, and he knew immediately that the youngster was worse off than he let on.

"You feel.... a bit nervous..." He finally announced carefully, breaking the lingering silence once more with gentle words. "Did... you have a nightmare again?"

Iruka could feel Naruto's body tighten slightly at the mention of his words and he could also see the cringe that caught in his expression, something that caused the man to sigh disdainfully.

"It's... it's nothing.." Naruto stammered in reply, betraying his nervousness in the tone of his voice. "I just couldn't sleep, that's all."

The boy then began to shift uncomfortably soon afterwards, as if to try and move away from the contact shared between them, something that told Iruka that he was becoming uncomfortable in his hold. However, before the youngster could slither away altogether, a steady hand rested firmly on his shoulders, halting any further attempts to wriggle loose, followed shortly by a soft voice calling from its owner.

"Naruto, don't..."

Naruto simply froze in his efforts and looked up once more, his eyes clearly betraying the truth of his emotions as they wavered precariously in the soft moonlight that met their gaze. It was easy for the chunin looking down into them to see their owner's discomfort, no matter how much the boy might have tried to hide it.

"Please, don't do that..." The man finally continued once he had Naruto's full attention. "I don't want you to ever feel like you have to hide your feelings from me, so please, don't run away. If there's something wrong, don't be afraid to share it with me, because I don't want you to feel like you ever have to be alone again. Please, don't ever do that to me..."

Naruto just continued to gaze up into the soft brown eyes that held onto his vision, seemingly lost in the lingering silence that held his voice, but after a few moments, Iruka could feel the resistance that had formed between them slowly melt away again and soon all of Naruto's emotions came rushing into his heart.

"I... I'm sorry dad." The boy mumbled shamefully. "I didn't mean to push you away. It's just, I.... I...."

All the tension, the anxiety... the fear, it became that much easier to recognize as Naruto continued to desperately search for the words that would simply not fall from his lips. All Iruka could do in response to his panic was to hold him closer in an effort to ease his distress.

After a few moments of silent comfort between the two, Iruka finally pulled away again, gaining Naruto's eyes once more, whose owner had since calmed down considerably.

"Now, tell me what's wrong. I know something has been getting to you lately. You are hardly sleeping anymore and you seem to be nervous almost all the time. Are you afraid of something?"

Naruto just remained silent for a brief moment, before finally nodding his head in silent confirmation. He then let out a deep, shaky breath to calm his own wavering nerves, before speaking softly in return.

"It... it just feels like something bad is going to happen all the time." He mumbled softly. "Like someone is going to try and hurt us and that there's nothing I'll be able to do to stop them. I'm just... I'm a little bit scared, but I don't know what to do anymore. It's just so hard to think about..."

The boy then let out a tired sigh despite himself, followed by a tearful yawn, something that alerted Iruka to the lateness of the hour and prompting him to slowly stand to his feet once more, while simultaneously lowering a sleepy Naruto carefully to the floor.

"I think it's about time we got you to bed..." He announced knowingly, before patting Naruto on the back to urge him forward. "Besides, you still have school tomorrow and it's getting late as it is. Just try to get some rest and we'll talk about this tomorrow, once you're ready. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, alright..." Naruto replied tiredly, still rubbing his eyes to rid himself of his failing vision. However, before the boy could even manage a single step forward, his fatigue got the better of him as his body lolled precariously.

Luckily, Iruka managed to catch hold of him just before he collapsed altogether and quickly lifted him up into his arms, all the while shaking his head from side to side in amusement.

"Man, you must have really been pushing yourself, to have become so exhausted..."

The two then made his way back inside their house for the night, with Iruka carefully carrying a still sleeping Naruto to his room. After lying the boy down to rest and covering him snugly beneath the warm blankets that were spread across his bed, while simultaneously removing his sandals from his feet, the chunin then made his way to his own room and to his awaiting slumber.

He had yet to ascertain the answers he was hoping for, but Iruka knew he would have to be patient in that regard. After all, he didn't want to push Naruto into a corner, or make the youngster feel like he was being overwhelmed, so the best course of action would be to simply wait until the boy was ready to share more.

Tomorrow was yet another day...

--

The next morning, after getting ready for the day ahead, both father and son made their way to the academy grounds in complete silence, both unable to share any words as they traversed the long path that led them to their awaiting destination. Iruka wanted to say something, to mentioned the talk they had the night before and to inquire about what was troubling Naruto so much, but no matter how hard he tried to open his mouth, the words simply would not fall from his tongue.

After all, the streets of Konoha were hardly the best place to discuss what was clearly a sensitive issue and the lingering, hateful eyes that continued to coldly gaze upon them from all around would do little to make such an important interaction comfortable, much less achievable by any standards that would be favorable for the boy's well-being.

So instead the chunin opted to allow silence to remain between them, at least for the time being. He would have to be patient and wait for the right moment, if he wanted to achieve anything meaningful and gain insight into the problem that had presented itself.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable traveling, both finally reached the academy gates, where an ever patient Hinata was already waiting for them, or more specifically, for her close blond friend. The girl immediately caught sight of their approach as they made their way up to her position and she flashed a gentle smile not seen adorned by most Hyuuga, but one that brightened the young heiress's face with a remarkable light.

Naruto, having caught a glimpse of her cheer, immediately lit up as well, sporting a grin all his own that was so bright that even the sun itself might have been jealous of such a display of radiance.

**"Hey Hinata!!!"** The young boy boasted cheerfully, before running up to his long time companion with an enthusiastic spring in his stride. Hinata simply blushed at the gesture presented to her, a weakness she still held in the presence of Naruto's smile despite their long time together as friends.

Iruka simply grinned at the odd interaction in between the two, as they both shared their estranged greetings, with Naruto grinning stupidly while Hinata matched his cheer with a blush of equal strength, before finally making for the doors that led into the hallways. The young academy instructor simply opted to follow closely behind them as they passed through the yard leading up to the entrance, reveling in the happiness that met his ears as the two youngsters jested with one another, chuckling and laughing happily as though nothing was wrong in the world.

It was almost enough to make the chunin forget about the concern that latched onto his heart, but before such thoughts could be erased completely from his mind, Iruka caught a glimpse of a waiting figure further ahead, looming in the shadows drawn against the nearby wall, just by the entrance of the academy building.

The blank, expressionless stare of the white mask that looked back at him quickly identified the unknown figure as an ANBU, but even still Iruka's guard immediately went up in his presence, knowing all to well that even those close to the Hokage's instruction might still act against the boy walking under his care.

The masked figure seemed to notice their approach as well, as if he were already expecting them long beforehand, and quickly pushed himself off the wall in order to move to intercept them. In response to the sudden approach, Iruka gently placed a hand on either of Naruto's and Hinata's shoulders in the moments that followed, causing both of them to pause in their tracks just as the ANBU arrived at where they were standing.

"Greetings Iruka-san." The man began, bowing down slightly in respect. "I have been sent by lord Hokage, in order to request your presence at his office. If you would please make your way there as soon as possible, it would be greatly appreciated.

The figure then silenced his words, before shifting his gaze slightly lower than it had been before. Iruka could not see where his eyes had settled, with their stare being hidden behind his otherwise stoic mask, but the scarred chunin suspected that it was the young blond in front of him who had drawn the man's attention and the feeling of discontent he could sense emanating into the air at that moment warned of the truth in his assessment.

Even Hinata seemed to grow uncomfortable under the blank stare of such an emotionless expression, especially if her fidgeting was anything to go by.

"What about my class?" Iruka finally inquired, breaking the silence and drawing the man's attention back up to him again. "Who will look after them while I am gone?"

The ANBU simply turned his back in response and began making his way towards the gates that led into the academy, turning back only to speak once more.

"A substitute teacher has already been assigned to your class for the day. He is waiting inside for the rest of your pupils to arrive, so there will be no problems in that regard. I assure you they will be well looked after in your absence."

The man then promptly disappeared from view, announcing his departure in a small swirl of leaves as he shunshined away from the small group. Once he was gone, Iruka turned to look back down at the two students besides him, before huffing in annoyance.

"Well, I guess that means I will likely be gone for most of the day. Will you be fine without me Naruto?" The said boy quickly nodded his head in response, somewhat surprising his adoptive father with his apparent assurance.

"Yeah, I'll be fine dad. Besides, I have my friends with me as well."

Naruto then turned his gaze to the young Hyuuga standing next to him, causing the girl to smile in light of the trust placed in her care. Iruka simply acknowledged his favorable response and then smiled warmly as well.

It was good to see that Naruto had grown so much more confident in the passing months that had seen him through his recovery, especially considering all that he had been through at the hands of those that sought to harm him.

After all, when the boy had first been rescued from his cruel fate at the hands of his caretakers, he was nothing more than a broken, shattered child, who hardly even had the will to stand in a small crowd without breaking down in fear. The boy would also always do his best to remain close to his father's side at all times, if only for the man to shield him from the rest of the world's cruelty.

Iruka couldn't blame Naruto for his actions though, after all he was only a young boy who's abuse at the hands of the orphanage had broken him in more way than one, but now... now things were different than they had been before. Naruto had grown stronger under the care and love of those close to him and his strength was beginning to show in his new found resolve.

Of course, the child was still weary of those around him and trust was something that he held dearly close to his heart, only sharing it with a precious few lest it should be torn down as it had in the past, but at least he was now able to stand on his own two feet in order to face the world that sought to bring him to his knees.

After giving his last goodbyes to the pair, Iruka finally made his way out of the school grounds and across the rooftops, heading towards the Hokage tower and leaving both Naruto and Hinata staring after him. Once he was gone from view, the two then turned on their way and headed into the academy building together, leaving the cold eyes that had otherwise settled on them before, while they were still talking outside, waiting at the entrance. However, Hinata had long since noticed the animosity directed so readily at her companion and couldn't help the frown that marred her expression.

Even as the pair made there way down the hallway, silent whispers still crossed the lips of the instructors around them, whispers that most would not be able to make out, but ones that held an unmistakable tone of bitterness trailing off in their flow. A few moments later into their journey, a soft call, drenched in all the wickedness its owners tongue could muster, crept into Hinata's ears, who barely managed to make out the incoherent word that met her hearing.

_"Monster..."_

The young Hyuuga felt a dark chill crawl up her spine as her thoughts translated the meaning of the words that fell around them and she quickly turned to look at Naruto, who was still walking silently besides her. However, much to the Hyuuga's discomfort, she immediately noticed the sudden drop in his expression, as well as the sadness that clung onto his eyes, clearly betraying the fact that he had heard it as well.

However, even despite that, the boy made no motion to speak, as if to silently accept the curses directed towards him and to bear the burden of his emotions alone.

_'N... Naruto...'_

Fortunately, before the discomfort that had fallen between them could become unbearable, a sudden call drew both of their attention to the end of the hallway and to the waving figure of their third companion as he came running up to the two.

"Hey Hinata! Hey Naruto-kun!" Both youngsters immediately lit up as Lee came bouncing up to them, before flashing his trademark grin and blinding all onlookers with his unnaturally white pearls.

**"Lee!!!"**

Naruto immediately lit up into a massive grin as well at the older boy's arrival and the sadness that had latched onto him only moments before quickly melted away again, leaving only the radiance of his cheer behind. After that, the three went on their way again, only this time with Lee escorting his two younger companions to their class as he had always done before.

The older boy of the group, however, also seemed to notice Naruto's less then favorable disposition upon his arrival, because Hinata could see his growing alertness as they made there way through the hallway, but despite her curiosity on the matter, she decided it was best to hold her tongue for the time being.

Once the group arrived at their destination, Lee turned to both of his companions with a heartfelt grin, an expression clearly meant to help the boy across from him.

"Alright, I guess this is where we part for now." He announced cheerfully. "I'll be here to fetch you two at break time as always." Both youngsters nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"We'll see you then!" Naruto beamed in reply.

The young blond then gave his last regards for the time being and then headed into the class waiting for them, with Hinata trailing closely behind him. However, the girl paused just before entering through the door, turning back to a still waiting Lee with a concerned expression reflecting back in her eyes.

Lee, seeing her distress, quickly fell into a frown, seemingly already knowing the subject of her concern.

"Hinata... is something wrong?" He inquired uneasily.

The girl simply lowered her eyes from his gaze, before speaking softly in reply, her shallow voice clearly betraying her nervousness as she translated her lingering thoughts into shaky words.

"Lee, have you.... well, do you ever notice the way people look at Naruto?" Lee simply sighed in response, giving the girl the answer she needed even though no further words were shared at the time.

"Why?" Hinata finally continued, after a few moments of silence.

"I hear them whispering around all the time.... and the way they look at him, it.... I dunno, it just looks so cold and hateful and he... he looks so sad when they look at him that way. He pretends not to notice, but I can see it bothers him. I just don't understand... why do they do that to Naruto? What did he do to make them treat him like that?"

Lee just remained silent in the wake of the Hyuuga's words, unable to find any sure way to respond. Instead, the only answer he could convey was left in the shadow of his eyes as they bore the lingering resentment and sadness that held within their gaze. A few moments later, he finally spoke up again, this time in a near whisper.

"I... I can't say. I just don't think it's right for me to tell you. This is... it's something only Naruto can explain so I think it's best if you ask him."

With that, the boy then turned away again, before making his way down the hallway and to his own class. He then lifted his hand in the air to wave as he continued in his stride, but otherwise made no effort to look back.

"I'll see you both at break..." He called one last time.

Once he was gone, the Hyuuga watching after him let out an anguished breath, before turning to enter into the class that Naruto had only moments before. When she caught sight of him at his desk, she could still see the lingering tension in his eyes, even though it was obvious that he was doing his best to keep it hidden.

However, Hinata decided it was best to brush it off for the time being, knowing she would eventually have to ask him herself. She then seated herself at her own seat before facing forward, only to see their substitute teacher turning to meet the class's attention as he stood in front of the room.

"Alright, good morning class." The man announced nonchalantly. "You usual instructor, Iruka-sensei, has been called out to business with the Hokage and will likely be preoccupied for the rest of the day, so I will be your substitution teacher until further notice."

The chunin then shifted his gaze around the class, as if to memorize each of the student's faces one by one, before his gaze finally settled on Naruto, holding the boy under his unnerving stare. The youngster simply remained seated in silence despite the discomfort such an unusual show of attention caused him, but even still he couldn't help the feeling of dread that suddenly burrowed into his heart.

Fortunately, only a few seconds passed before the instructor centered his gaze forward again, before addressing the group once more.

"Ah yes, how rude of me." He offered dryly. "I suppose I should introduce myself if I am to be teaching you. You may call me... Mayakashi-sensei."

--

"This really isn't what I had planned for today. I just hope Naruto will be alright without me..."

Iruka let out another anguished groan as he continued to grumble to himself bitterly, waiting less than patiently in the hallways just outside the Hokage's office for his recently announced and rather abrupt appointment. However, much to the chunin's distaste, he was left waiting outside for the time being, despite his haste to arrive.

Fortunately, his torture on the matter did not last too long and soon one of the chunin guards approached him, addressing the man with a great deal of respect.

"I apologize for the wait Iruka-san, but the Hokage had an unexpected visitor just before you arrived. You may see him now." Iruka simply let out a deep, breath of relief, before standing to his feet and bowing slightly.

"Thank you. It's about time."

The scarred chunin then made his way up to the large wooden doors that separated him from his destination, before being let inside by the guards waiting for him. Much to his surprise, however, he caught sight of a familiar figure giving his last regards to the Sandaime just as he entered into the room.

"I thank you for your time, lord Hokage, it is much appreciated." The white clad man, who had since been identified as the good Dr. Mikomi, then turned to make for the door. However, he quickly paused in his tracks just as he caught site of Iruka standing there, before smiling softly in greeting.

"Ah, Iruka-san, it is good to see you after all this time. It has been a while since we last had the liberty of sharing words, although I am glad to note young Naruto-kun's absence from the hospital in these last few months."

Iruka simply grinned in return, happy to see that Mikomi, the doctor that had saved Naruto's life, was still in good spirits despite the time that had passed since their last meeting.

"It is good to see you as well...." He replied happily. "... although I might ask the reason for your being here."

Mikomi, nodded at the inquiry, showing his readiness to explain the situation.

"Well you see, I was just delivering a report on the status of the hospital's new infrastructure. With all these recent staff changes, things have been a bit more than chaotic over the last few months and a lot of the new faces still need to be worked in properly."

"New staff?" Iruka inquired curiously, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "What do you mean?" This time, the Hokage interrupted, announcing his long awaiting presence with a small cough.

"Ah yes, Iruka, you still don't know, do you?" He smiled wryly. "Mikomi-san here delivered a report to me a few months ago, citing the inexcusable behavior of some of his fellow staff with regards to a certain young man's treatment there. Of course, I couldn't very well allow such inaction to continue unnoticed, now could I?"

Iruka simply grinned at the suggestion, a gesture that the old man before him returned in kind.

"Of course not..." The chunin smiled softly.

"Much of the guilty staff have since been removed from service and replaced accordingly..." Mikomi continued in the Hokage's stead. "Or at least, the ones Anko had not already gotten her hands on beforehand, although her intervention did save us a great deal of paperwork. Hahahaha!!!!"

All those present simply laughed at the joke shared between them and even the Sandaime managed a hearty grin despite himself.

Iruka then turned to Mikomi once, before bowing down with a great deal of respect, clearly displaying his undying gratitude in light of the man's kindness.

"Thank you again, for everything you've done for the sake of my son." Mikomi, however, simply brushed off the gesture as he had in the past and continued to make his way out once more, still giggling slightly under the effects of his lingering amusement.

"It was good to see you again Iruka-san." He called back cheerfully, just as he exited the room. "Send Naruto my regards when you see him."

Once he was gone, Iruka turned back to the Hokage once more, his face sinking to a more serious expression at the same time.

"Lord Hokage, is there something you wish to discuss with me?" Sarutobi nodded his head in silent confirmation, his own expression taking on a similar tone to the young man in front of him.

"Yes, that is correct. However I am still waiting for one more guest to arrive before we continue. He should be here shortly."

Just then, as if to confirm the Hokage's words, Jiraiya came bolting in through the window. The sannin managed to land with unusual amount of grace just inside the room, before regarding his fellow shinobi with a great deal of curiosity. He then leaned himself up against the nearby wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I guess this is about Naruto, if Iruka is here as well." He announced firmly.

Iruka quickly turned his gaze back to the Saindaime once more, as if to eagerly seek his response, only to see the man's silent approval once more. Hiruzen Sarutobi then spoke up again, addressing his two visitors with a firm tone that spoke clearly of the seriousness of the matter at hand.

"It has been a quite few months since the attack against the academy students that occurred in the Fire Country took place..." The old man began. "... and since then, our investigations as to the perpetrators of such an act have born little fruit to speak of. However, recently we have stumbled upon some concerning evidence that has me a bit worried."

Iruka took a deep gulp, citing the words addressed to them. After allowing a moment of silence to linger, Sarutobi looked up once more, this time staring directly into the chunin's gaze, drawing his undivided attention.

"I am afraid that your suspicions regarding the attack having been plotted from within our own borders may in fact be correct."

Sarutobi then shifted his gaze over to Jiraiya, an action that drew Iruka's stare as well. Once all attention was directed to the sannin, the white-haired sage let out a deep breath and began to speak.

"Unfortunately, what he says is true." Jiraiya announced disdainfully.

"I have recently been doing some snooping around the academy to try and see if there was any incriminating evidence to be found and I managed to stumble upon some interesting clues that might support your claim. Apparently, the excursion that had been planned for your class was far more sudden than it appeared."

Iruka narrowed his eyes at the sannin's words, knowing full well where the discussion was headed before it even got there. Jiraiya noted his change in expression and continued with his explanation.

"It seems as though the trip was, in fact, a last minute request initiated by one of the other academy officials. Of course, such an event would normally have to be approved by the council weeks in advanced, but this instructor somehow managed to bypass such procedures despite the laws we have in place."

"W... what does this mean, exactly?" Iruka mumbled nervously.

"It means..." Sarutobi replied heavily, drawing everyone's attention once more. "... that someone inside the academy was doing everything in his power to put Naruto in harm's way and may still be attempting to do so as we speak. In fact, if what our evidence suggests is correct, there may be more than one perpetrator involved."

Iruka took a deep gulp at that and couldn't help as his body began to shake, knowing full well that his son might have been in danger at that very moment.

"But... what are we going to do about it?" The Hokage simply sighed at the question imposed by the clearly shaken chunin, before closing his eyes in thought.

"Well, the academy graduation exams are coming up in two weeks time and we have a promising crop of hopeful genin that are sure to make us proud." He announced softly, before opening his eyes once more.

"Knowing how potentially dangerous this situation is and considering the lack of safety presented, it may be necessary for Naruto to take the exam in order to be promoted as a genin himself, which would in turn serve to remove him from what has become a potentially harmful environment for him to reside."

**"WHAT?!?!"** Iruka yelped in return, his eyes widening in shock.

"B-b-but, it's still too early for him! He doesn't have enough experience and he... he still needs more time to adjust. Things have just started becoming bearable for him and now you want to change everything again?!?!"

Sarutobi just sighed despite himself, while his former student shook his head despondently. They couldn't blame the man for his reaction, especially considering the circumstances involved, but panicking would hardly help the situation.

"I am afraid we may have no choice in the matter." The Sandaime continued solemnly. "It is either that, or he simply drops out of the shinobi program altogether and saves himself the hardship."

At that, Iruka seemed to calm down somewhat, unable to find any words to counter the old man's reasoning. Once the Sandaime was sure the chunin was relatively normal again, he continued with his explanation.

"You see Iruka, you have to look at this situation from the right perspective. The problem is that it isn't only Naruto who is endangered if something happens again. If another attack occurs, the other students may be harmed in the process as well. Besides, from the reports I have received on your class, Naruto's academic grades have gone up drastically over the passed year and his skills in both combat and otherwise show promise and development beyond most newly graduated genin."

"Yes... I know that... but he is still so young..." Iruka stammered in return. "I know I can't just ask him to let go, because it's his dream to be a shinobi, but at the same time he is just a child and he still needs more time to just be himself... to just be... a kid..."

The scarred chunin's words slowly fell into a near whisper as he continued to mumble quietly to himself, knowing full well the truth at hand as it had been addressed by the Hokage. Both Sarutobi and Jiraiya could see Iruka's fists ball at his sides, as well as the pain filled cringe that covered his face. They both knew that this sudden development was hurting the young man more than most could understand, but they also knew there was really no other way.

"I just... I just want him too be happy. I just want to see him smile and be with his friends. That's all I want..."

Jiraiya quickly pushed himself up off the wall and made his way over to where Iruka was standing, before placing a hand firmly on his shoulder and squeezing it tightly.

"Don't worry..." He whispered softly. "That kid is a lot stronger than he looks, in fact I'm sure he's ready for this. Besides, isn't Lee a part of this years group of graduates as well? They can become genin together..."

Iruka just looked back up to the older man standing beside him, who simply offered to smile reassuringly in return, a gesture that calmed the chunin's nerves somewhat despite the tormenting pain he felt inside. After a few moments following, Iruka finally nodded his head in understanding, knowing full well that they had little choice in the matter.

"Alright, I will talk to Naruto about this when we get home, after all, it's up to him to decide. However, that isn't the only thing concerning me at this point. Naruto's birthday is also coming up soon as well, in fact it's just a week before the graduation exams. However, something has been bothering him lately and I haven't been able to put my finger on it just yet."

The Sandaime stood to his feet at the chunin's words, before making his way around the table to meet the others inhabiting the room.

"Ah yes, that is correct." He mused curiously. "Naruto's birthday is on the same day as the Kyuubi's attack. It is hard to believe that so much time has already passed since that incident and yet still the scars of such loss remain embedded in our hearts."

"It is also a time of mourning for the village." Jiraiya added, stroking his chin in thought. "A great many people still hold resentment and hatred in their hearts because of what happened during that time and I'm afraid they may try to act less than favorably if they even see Naruto at any point during such a day."

Suddenly, Iruka felt a knotting pain form in his chest at hearing the sannin's words, squeezing tightly against his heart as a sudden realization pulled at his consciousness.

"O... of course, that's it. That's why Naruto has been behaving so odd lately..."

Both of his companions simply regarded the man curiously, as if silently prompting him to explain. However, their concern only grew even more as the chunin's face fell into a deep frown, while his eyes wavered with the hidden evidence of tears.

"I can't believe... I didn't think of it." He stammered precariously, his voice catching heavily at the back of his throat.

"You see, Naruto told me something while we were out of the village. After an incident that took place with one of the other students, I realized that something was upsetting him. After I finally managed to get him to open up, he described how the orphanage used to celebrate the day of the Kyuubi's attack every year, by allowing some of the villagers to.... to pay him a visit. He said... he said they would..."

The man then fell silent, just as the small rush of a single tear came sliding down the side of his cheek, something that warned his listeners of the pain that was about to follow in his words.

"They would... celebrate his birthday by... by putting him through the most unimaginable tortures... and they wouldn't stop until... until..."

Iruka held back a heavy breath at that, his voice unable to continue serving him as his thoughts reflected back on the descriptions that filled his mind. After a few moments of anguished silence, he finally spoke up again, once his nerves had calmed somewhat.

"I remember now... how Naruto always used to be absent from class for about a week after the day of mourning and when he did finally come back, how he always used to try and hide himself from everyone, like he didn't want anyone to see his face. I never knew why, but now.... now I understand completely. That look in his eyes, that pain, I just... I can't bear to think of it. He must be so terrified, knowing that his birthday is coming up in only a few days again. How could I have not realized?"

Jiraiya simply shook his head following the explanation that Iruka gave, his resentment clearly showing in his dangerously narrowed eyes.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for that Iruka. It isn't right, that a child should be so afraid of their own birthday." He spat bitterly, betraying an anger that even the Hokage himself clearly shared.

"It should be a celebration of his life, of the sacrifice he was forced to accept for the sake of this village, not a punishment for a crime he never committed. This time, we won't allow such a thing to happen so easily. This time we will make sure Naruto is happy and safe on such an important day, to make him feel like the precious hero he really is."

Iruka nodded his head in agreement, his resolve returning once more as it steeled in his heart.

"You're right, this time things _WILL_ be different, because I won't allow anyone to harm _my_ son. In any case, I will have to talk to him about all of this as soon as possible. I think it's time I got back to the academy, to make sure he is still fine."

"I'll come with you..." Jiraiya offered. "Besides, there is something I would like to discuss with you, regarding Naruto's birthday. I have a gift in mind that I would like your approval on, something I should have given him a long time ago..."

And with that, both men were finally dismissed by the Sandaime, before making their way back towards the academy and the boy waiting for their return.

--

The sharp call of a ringing bell began to echo throughout the halls of Konoha's ninja academy, signifying, to some of the more weary students' great relief, the end of a very long day. Naruto and Hinata both popped out of their seats as they heard the welcomed signal, and quickly rushed to the front of the class, an action matched by most of the other equally enthusiastic students as well.

However, Naruto made a notable point of avoiding the part time teacher that had taken their class for the day, citing his discomfort under the man's all too obvious glare. After all, the boy knew a look of discontent when he saw one, that much was certain after all these years of suffering under such cruel eyes.

Most of the other students had just about gone completely as Naruto and Hinata both waited patiently at the front of the class, save for one rather bouncy Inuzuka as he sprang up to the pair with a wide grin adorning his features. His arrival was announced by a sharp yip on Akamaru's part, who managed to easily gain the attention of the other two waiting youngsters.

"Hey Naruto, Hinata, wanna walk home together?" The boy asked enthusiastically, his eyes pleading for them to conform. "It's been a while since we've hung out together, so I thought it would be cool if we talked for a while."

Naruto just shook his head solemnly, but still grinned in return despite the negative response.

"Sorry Kiba, but Hinata and I are waiting for another friend today. We promised we would meet him after school, so he'll be on his way here soon." Kiba simply pouted distastefully at the decline to his offer, something that made both Naruto and Hinata giggle slightly.

"Alright, maybe some other time then?"

"Sure thing." Hinata smiled in reply. "We'd love to have you join us some time, maybe tomorrow."

With that the young Inuzuka grinned once more, before waving a hasty goodbye and sprinting out of the class, while chasing after Shino and Chouji, the former of whom only sighed despondently at the rowdy boy's untimely visit.

A few minutes later, saw Lee making own his inevitable arrival outside their class to fetch his friends and the three set out into the hallway once more in order to make their way off the premises. However, before they could get far, Mayakashi quickly called out to them, halting them in their tracks.

"I am sorry Uzumaki, but may I ask that you help me tidy up the class by cleaning the board for me? I would greatly appreciate your assistance." The man gritted through his teeth, making every effort to sound as sincere as possible.

Naruto turned to the adult addressing him and took a nervous gulp despite himself. He couldn't help but notice the sly smile that stretched across the chunin's lips, a smile that reminded him all too well of a similar gesture he saw Mizuki use just before betraying him.

However even despite his lingering tension on the matter, the boy nodded his head in approval, finding himself unable to deny any request for help regardless of the uneasy feeling nagging at his stomach. Naruto then quickly turned to his two waiting companions with a heavy frown and sighed glumly.

"I'm sorry guys..." He mumbled softly, his voice laced with disappointment. "I guess you'll have to go on without me. I'll catch up to you both later."

Lee, however, simply regarded the man standing behind what he had long considered to be his younger brother, with a great deal of mistrust, a gesture Hinata herself even seemed to match, before turning to Naruto again and smiling reassuringly.

"Don't worry about us Naruto-kun. We'll wait here until you are done. Besides, I don't think it will take that long for you to finish and it isn't like we have anything better to do."

"Are you sure?" Naruto inquired curiously. "I mean I don't mind if you don't want to wait..."

"Of course we're sure!" Hinata squeaked in return, cutting the boy off in his tracks.

Both of her companions just looked at her curiously, pondering on her strange behavior as well as the nervousness clearly showing in her eyes. In response, the girl quickly turned her gaze away from them, before speaking in a near whisper once more.

"Well, we are you friends, aren't we...?" She mumbled sheepishly, to which Naruto just smiled.

"Yeah.... thanks." In truth, the young boy was just happy to have his friends by his side, not to mention somewhat relieved.

After finalizing their newly formed plan, Naruto then turned back towards his employer, before setting about his task with a great deal of haste. However, Lee noticed with a great deal of discomfort, that the instructor overlooking him did not look too pleased about their arrangement, especially if his scowl was any indication of his resentment.

It was only a few minutes later when the excitable blond had finally finished the task assigned to him and it was only a few second after that, which saw him exiting the class once more, with both of his closest friends firmly in tow. As the trio made their way down the now empty hallways of the long since abandoned school grounds, Hinata finally found her voice again, speaking suddenly against the silent happiness that had since enveloped them.

"Naruto..."

The said boy quickly came to a halt as he noticed Hinata pause in her tracks beside him, followed shortly by Lee as both turned to face her. Once the Hyuuga heiress had their attention, she spoke softly once more, only this time the stutter that had long since abandoned her speech in their time as friends, made a sudden return as her nervousness got the better of her.

"W... why?" She stammered uneasily, confusing the blond listening to her. "Why does everyone look at you the way they do. Why d-do they w-whisper whenever you're a-around?"

Naruto's face fell into a frown as the question was addressed to him, a question he had long since dreaded, while Lee simply watched silently at the exchange. The older boy knew that this was something Naruto would have to confront and deal sooner or later, so he decided it was best to remain silent for the time being and allow his younger companion to explain.

"I... I don't..." Naruto tried his best to find a response, but the fear and panic that suddenly flowed into his heart quickly became overwhelming, and he found his voice lost to him.

"I could hear them you know..." Hinata continued in the silence that consumed her friend. "For a long time I've noticed the way people look at you, the way they whisper around you. Even today, when we were walking down the hallway, I heard it. You noticed it too... didn't you?"

Silence was the only answer the girl received in response to her inquiry, as the blond standing across from her found no words to respond, which only prompted her to continue even further.

"I... I know it hurts you, I've seen it in your eyes. It makes you sad... you used to always look sad. I used to see the way you came into school with bruises, even though you tried to hide them. They used to hurt you, didn't they? They used to do horrible things to you when you were living in the orphanage...."

By now, Naruto was fighting a losing battle with his emotions as Hinata's words bore ever deeper into his soul, bringing back the haunting memories of his past and the pain it had brought him. Soon the evidence of tears crept up into the side of his eyes despite his efforts to stem their flow and his body began to shake as he stood there frozen in fear. Even his eyes began to shimmer with the evidence of his doujutsu, something that didn't go unnoticed by the girl standing before him.

Lee quickly noticed the soft glint running down his friend's left cheek soon afterwards and offered the younger boy his support as he squeezed Naruto's shoulder tightly in comfort. It was a silent message, just to let the quivering blond know that he was there for him no matter what, and the strength he offered through their touch was readily gifted to ease his pain.

"It's alright Naruto-kun... " The dark haired offered gently. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm sure she'll understand. Just tell her the truth." Naruto choked on another breath as his lungs desperately tried to fill themselves with much needed oxygen, but it did little to help his shaking voice as he finally spoke up in response.

"Hinata.. I... I don't know... what to say..." He stammered uneasily. "I'm just... so scared... I just... I..."

"I saw the seal on your stomach..." Both Naruto and Lee froze as they heard Hinata speak up in a near whisper once more.

"When we were in the forest being attacked by those shinobi that were trying to hurt you, I saw a seal appear on your stomach while you were using your jutsu to protect us. My dad taught me a bit about seals, because he said I would need to know about them if I ever take his place, so I know what they can be used for."

The girl then allowed for a pause, noting with a great deal of sadness, the widened blue eyes looking back at her, shimmering with what looked like a hint of gold. What hurt her the most, though, was the sheer amount of fear and panic she could see reflecting in his gaze. Was he really that afraid of what she would think? Did it really scare him so much, that he thought he might lose a friend?

After a few moments of silence, the lavender-eyed girl finally spoke up again, only this time her voice was strong and firm, as she announced her observations.

"There's something inside you, isn't there? That's why everyone acts the way they do. That's why they treat you that way...."

Naruto simply remained silent following Hinata's deduction, before finally nodding his head with a heavy motion, confirming the girl's suspicions with a fearful sob and a heavy frown. Hinata simply frowned in return to his obvious remorse, but before either of them could speak any further, a sudden motion interrupted their exchange.

**"You brats don't know the half of it!!!!"**

All three students quickly averted their gaze to the source of the interruption, but by then it was already too late, as a sharp kick suddenly broke into Naruto's chest before sending him flying through a nearby window and out of the second story of the academy building, before falling to the waiting earth below.

"Nggghhh!!!!"

The young boy managed to look up again just in time to see Mayakashi appear above him as both of them continued to sail through the air, but he could not act in time to stop the kunai that plunged towards his chest, while its owner smiled wickedly down at him.

**"DIE!!!"**

However, before the blade could reach its mark, a sudden blur of motion formed between the pair, deflecting the impending blow with deftly precision, before kicking off against their attacker and slamming back into Naruto, causing both figures to separate in mid air.

Mayakashi managed to correct himself in his fall and landed on the ground not to far away, while Naruto twirled about in mid air in his own reckless descent. Luckily, however, he managed to use his own momentum to twist his body around in mid flight, while directing his chakra to his feet to soften the landing that might have otherwise shattered his legs.

Once he had recovered from his fall, Naruto quickly raised his vision again in preparation for a follow up attack, only to see Hinata standing in a Jyuuken stance in front of him, separating the boy from Mayakashi, who was now glaring at the pair angrily.

_'H... Hinata...'_

**"Why are you protecting him!?!?!?!"** The man shouted indignantly, his voice now filled with all the hatred he had otherwise tried to keep hidden until now. **"After everything you just figured out, you're still going to fight for him?!?!?!"**

Hinata just nodded her head firmly, her eyes never once losing their resolve as she continued to hold their attacker within her unmoving gaze. Naruto couldn't help his mouth fall in surprise following her response, but before he could think on the matter a new shadow fell over them, announcing another impending attack as it descended upon its foe.

Mayakashi managed to jump away just in time to avoid the deadly, crushing blow, as Lee's foot crashed into the earth with a force that shattered the very ground beneath him, causing it to ripple and crack unnaturally while surprising the chunin witnessing with his apparent show of strength.

"How could a mere student achieve that?" The man sneered, as he landed a few feet away from the point of impact. "A whelp like you couldn't possibly have enough chakra control to reinforce their limbs for an attack like that without breaking all the bones in their body from the shock of such an impact."

The dark haired boy just grinned in light of the man's words, but his glare never once left his eyes as he gazed back up at him.

"Lets just say I had some training on the side." He announced confidently, giving no further details other than a few scant words.

_'After all, Naruto wasn't the only one who was taught by Kurenai-sensei...'_

The boy then stood back to his feet again and fell into a more advanced taijutsu style, matching Hinata's own ferocity as they both continued to stare down their opponent. Mayakashi simply regarded the pair of students with healthy dose of discontent, before sneering under his breath.

"So, you two are really going to try and protect this freak of nature? You're really going to risk your lives against a chunin just for the sake of one friend, knowing full well how easily I could kill you?" Hinata just nodded her head quietly, a gesture shared by the dark haired boy standing across from her.

"Aren't you being a bit careless right now." Lee spoke up next, addressing the chunin directly. "People will find out about what happened here and how you attacked us, and you'll be punished because of it."

"Oh, I don't think so." Mayakashi chuckled in response. "You see, the truth is, I was just getting ready to leave the academy after a long day's work, when this little monster went on a sudden rampage. Of course, I was forced to intervene and take his life, in order to protect the good of the village and now that the academy is empty of any possible witnesses, there is no-one here to refute my claim."

"What about us? How are you going to explain what happened then?" Hinata retorted, to which the man's grin grew that much wider and just as sinister.

"Alas, it is a real shame... that two of our precious students were the unfortunate victims of the monster's rampage. Such tragedies are hard to avoid sometimes, but we must all do our best to protect the greater good, is that not right?" Mayakashi then raised his hands into an attack stance, his eyes now glowing madly with a wicked glee as his excitement took hold of his quivering body.

Naruto, who was still dumbfounded by the show of loyalty from his two friends, neither of which had yet to move from his side despite the danger presented, finally found his voice again and shouted out in panic.

"Wait, Hinata, Lee! There's no need for you two to get hurt for me! Please get out of here while you can, it's just me he wants anyway!!!"

However, despite his plee for them to leave him behind, Lee simply smiled in response, shocking his younger companion with his unmoving will regardless of the danger at hand.

"There's no need for that." He announced confidently, his grin never once leaving his lips. Naruto's eyes just widened at the suggestion, but even still the older boy remained unmoving.

"You see Naruto-kun, with the three of us together we will definitely beat him. There really is nothing to worry about, because he doesn't even stand a chance if we stick together. Am I right Hinata?" The said girl quickly turned back to face her friend and gestured her acknowledgement, allowing her own smile to show as well.

"He's right Naruto And besides..." The girl then turned her gaze forward again, allowing her Byakugan to activate as she continued to glare at her opponent. The sheer amount of will in her eyes was almost enough to break anyone looking into them and she showed more confidence and resolve than she had ever before in her life.

"... besides, you're our friend, no matter what else happens or what anyone else thinks about you. I don't care what's inside you, because it doesn't matter any more. I know who you are deep inside your heart.... you're my friend and you're a good, loving and caring person who would never harm anyone."

The young blond listening took a wavering gulp as he felt the words of his two closest friends burrow into his heart, before closing his eyes gratefully, while hiding the emotions that had gathered in them and steeling his resolve.

_'Thank you... Lee, Hinata.... I am so blessed to have you as friends.'_

When the boy opened his eyes again, the fiery shine of his Tenraigan was now burning strongly in his gaze, replacing what was once a calm ocean blue with the convicting stare of a pure golden light. He then fell into his own taijutsu stance thereafter, spreading his legs further apart to balance himself properly while opening his palms in preparation for an attack.

Soon afterwards the hidden patterns that ran along his arms began to melt into view, enveloped by a softly glowing light as they streamed from the tops of his shoulders, down to either of the tips of his hands, followed shortly by the familiars seals that marked his palms as the light gathered in their centers.

_'I'm ready now. I know we can do this... together...'_ Naruto reassured himself silently.

This time, however, despite his nervousness, the young boy managed a grin all his own, as it spread across his features and matched the resolve set firmly in his soul, knowing full well that he was now ready for what was to come. He then settled his gaze on his waiting opponent, who almost wavered slightly under his convicting stare, before addressing his companions one last time.

"Alright guys... **LETS DO THIS, TOGETHER!!!!"**

--

**AN:** I know this time skip may not have been exactly what people were expecting in terms of my current setting, but I have my own plans for this story and I aim to steer away from the copy and paste structure and time line that so many other Naruto fanfics follow so closely, with the typical graduation, typical team formation and similar story structure thereafter that they all seem to contain.

However, things are going to get very interesting from here on out and I assure you I have a lot of great ideas that I want to explore that I have never really seen being used before, so just bear with me. I am going to have some fun with the new and unexplored window of time I have created for myself.

Also, with regards to Lee's chakra control, I have seen a few stories where the writer suggests that he can't use chakra. This is, in fact, a complete misconception. Although it is true that he cannot use any ninjutsu or genjutsu (probably being unable to mold it for that purpose), he is described having used chakra just before the first test of the chunin exams, where he blocked both Sasuke's and the disguised chunin's kicks as they were about to fight.

At that moment, Sasuke mentally comments on the amount of chakra that Lee had in his arms to have been able to block their attacks, even showing surprise in that regard. There is also the part when Lee unlocks some of the 8 'chakra' gates during his battle with Gaara, another feat he would not be able to achieve without good chakra control or at least chakra in the first place. So please don't review saying otherwise, because I have done my homework.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! ^ ^

**Poll results!!!**

Alright, I decided to put up the results for my last three polls here, for anyone who may not have taken part or just in case anyone was interested in the final scores. XD

**1: Who do you think would have won in a battle between Ryuukimi and Kuromaru had it actually taken place?**

**1st Place:** Ryuukimi. **58%**  
**2nd Place:** Kurumaru. **21%**  
**3rd Place:** It would be a draw. **19%**

**2: If you could posses any doujutsu, which one would it be?**

**1st Place:** The Tenraigan. **45%**  
**2nd Place:** The Rinnegan. **19%**  
**3rd Place:** The Byakugan. **11%**  
**4th Place:** Fuzzy Brows. **9%**  
5th Place: The Sharingan. **6%**

**3: With the next phaze of my story now on its way, what are you looking forward to the most?**

**1st Place:** Seeing which genin teams are formed and which one Naruto will be on, as well as who would be his sensei. **36%**  
**2nd Place:** Learning more about Naruto's bloodline, the markings on his body and the hidden secrets still held within his scroll. **35%**  
**3rd Place:** Learning more about the dragons and their unique bond with Naruto and his past heritage. **27%**  
**4th Place:** Seeing Naruto's growth in terms of both strength and skill, as well as that of his heart. **24%**  
**5th Place:** Seeing what new characters are introduced and how they will affect the future. **4%**  
**6th Place:** Finding out how Kurayami's involvement will develop in the coming chapters and what he has in store for Naruto. **3%**

Thank you to everyone who took part in the polls. I hope they were fun and interesting. If anyone has any ideas for a poll they would like to see, or one they think would be interesting, just send me a PM and I will have a look. ^ ^

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko.


	40. Chapter 40 Hidden Strength

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**AN:** Well, all I can say is that this chapter took a lot longer to come out than I had expected. I had actually written most of it a while ago, but then life happened. -___-

One thing just led to another, from the nightmares at home, to personal problems and then my mac dying didn't ease the situation at all, so I apologize for the long delay.

Anyway, as a result, this chapter also came out a bit differently to how I had originally planned it and a few slight changes seemed to creep in at the last moment. I hope you all enjoy it.

--

**Chapter 40 - Hidden Strength**

"So, this is how it's going to be then. You brats are really serious about taking me on, even if it means protecting this filth. Very well, it seems I will have to oblige."

The three academy students continued to stare down their waiting opponent as he spoke in a low growl that clearly defined his disdain, with the soft afternoon sunlight now forming a silhouette around each of their forms and singling them out to the cruel eyes of their hunter.

All three of them were standing ready for the battle that would soon visit them, all of them preparing their hearts for the struggle that was to come.

Mayakashi's gaze moved slowly between the students as they stood there ready, analyzing each youngster carefully before moving onto the next, until his gaze finally fell onto the very source of his hatred. Naruto felt his heart jump slightly in his chest as the cruel, unforgiving gaze bore into his being with all of its malice, but still he managed to stand his ground even under such tormenting scrutiny.

The older chunin's gaze soon locked onto the golden irises that me them, noting with a great deal of distaste that the fear that had held the child's eyes prisoner only moments before, was now almost completely absent, leaving only the burning fire of their resolve behind. The seals that burned along the boy's arms only served to enhance the awe of his visage that much more, while the soft glow that met his palms spoke silently of a glimpse of the strange power that he wielded.

It was almost... unnerving, looking into the depths of the gaze that stared back at him, but Mayakashi quickly shook off the sudden and strange grip that seemed to hold his body in place, before finally speaking up once more.

"I'll tear those eyes out soon enough boy." He hissed bitterly. "And I'll enjoy every second of it. I'm sure eyes of gold such as your own will fetch in a nice price from the right buyer..."

**"You won't touch him!"** The man's gaze quickly tore away from the blond and moved over to the lavender-eyed girl standing just slightly off in front of him. If the Hyuuga's cold stare was anything to go by, she was clearly fuming, no doubt having been upset by the man's choice of words.

"If you touch him, you'll regret it." The girl continued, her voice matching the strength of her gaze. "I swear I'll make you regret it if you hurt my friend..."

Mayakashi simply narrowed his eyes in light of the glare that fell over him. It was easy to notice the sheer amount anger and ferocity held within such an action, and it only served to increase his own hatred and loathing that much more.

"Aren't we confident, to think you can possibly hope to stop me?" He sneered in reply. "You brats just don't realize the difference in our strength."

"It isn't about strength..." This time it was Lee who spoke up, once again drawing the man's attention away from its former resting place and over to the new speaker.

"It's about knowing what's important and fighting to protect it." The boy continued. "Naruto is our friend and we'll fight to defend him. You lost this battle the moment you decided to try and hurt him while we were by his side."

"Hahaha! What a joke!" Mayakashi laughed in response.

"Fine then, I'll play your little game and I'll do my best to enjoy it as well. Once I've gotten you two out of the way, I'll take care of your little friend nice and slowly. However, seeing as how you both seem to care for him so much, I'll be kind enough to make sure that you live just long enough to see what I do to him. I'll let you watch while I kill the little monster slowly, just so you can hear his screams..."

By now, Hinata had already had enough of the man's words. The time for talk had long since past and she could no longer bear the cruel taunts directed so mercilessly towards her friend.

Mayakashi, who had been caught up in his own monologue, did not even notice it as the Hyuuga suddenly vanished from her position in front of Naruto, hurtling forward in a surprising show of speed. He only just managed to move away in time to avoid the blow that fell towards him from seemingly nowhere.

The man quickly ducked beneath the sudden and surprisingly fast strike that aimed to cleave off his head, only to hear the loud crash that followed as Hinata's palm collided with the wall that stood behind him.

_'Hmph. Not bad, but not good enough.'_

He then quickly spun around to counter with a powerful kick of his own as the girl descended from her attack, but Lee had already long since moved to intercept him, managing to place himself between both combatants while blocking the strike directed by the older assailant with a well timed guard.

"Hinata, now's your chance!" He shouted.

Hinata quickly took the opportunity offered by her oldest friend and landed in a low crouch near both of them, before unleashing a series of strikes targeted at Mayakashi's legs, seeking to disable any hope of movement in one swift attack. However, the man quickly disengaged from his other opponent and offered to block the Hyuuga's attacks, although at the price of a few tenketsu points in his arms.

_'Brat...'_

What followed was almost impossible to make out as the three then exchanged a series of rapid strikes and counter attacks, with Lee and Hinata pressing their attack as best as they could. Mayakashi's experience and skill managed to help him avoid the worst of it, but even still a few glancing blows managed to slip through his guard.

In contrast, any attack he attempted to counter with was barely capable of reaching its mark as each youngster guarded for one another, showing unusually adept teamwork between the two despite their unique and rather contrasting fighting styles. Hinata's startling grace and agility, coupled with Lee's speed and power was quickly proving to be an effective combination and one that was also clearly dangerous.

Seeing his growing disadvantage, and cursing his unfavorable predicament, Mayakashi quickly jumped up into the air as soon as an opening had presented itself, moving away from the situation he had found himself in while simultaneously removing an exploding tag from his holster and hurling it down beneath him.

Hinata and Lee both jumped out of the way in time to avoid the resounding blast, however it had served its purpose and brought the retreating chunin the time he needed to reposition. Landing a few feet away, Mayakashi then turned to face his opponents again, just as they recovered from the near deadly attack.

"Well, I must admit I may have underestimated you." He announced calmly, although a hint of his ire still carried firmly in his voice. "But I won't get caught up in the same situation twice. You two have wasted your chance and now you're going to pay for that mistake."

Mayakashi then settled back into a fighting stance, while moving his hands together to prepare them for what might have been a series of hand seals.

However, what the man had failed to perceive in his haste, was that Naruto had been strangely absent from the battle so far, but a sharp call quickly alerted him to his mistake as the young boy descended from the sky above, with both of his palms still glowing in the light that had gathered on them moments before.

**"I won't let you hurt my friends!!!!"** Mayakashi noticed the sudden approach out of the corner of his eyes and quickly looked up to his new attacker, only to see Naruto landing right in front of him before raising one of his outstretched palms and facing it directly towards the instructor.

**"Take this! Tenpo! Amatsu Yari!"**

The light that had gathered was then released in a sharp blast that emanated off the tip of Naruto's hand, before hurtling forward towards its target. Mayakashi managed to dodge the blast just in time, although with no small measure of effort on his part, while jumping up and over the wave of energy and landing on the other side of the young blond.

The burning arch of light simply continued in its path, before crashing into one of the wooden playground structures scattering it in a shower of splinters and light, a vibrant display that even Mayakashi had to shield his eyes from.

"Stupid brat!" He spat bitterly.

The man then delivered another blow of his own once he had recovered, thinking to catch the boy before off guard in the moments following his assault, but was surprised when Naruto deflected it with the same hand that he had just used to attack with. The boy then spun around on his heels and pointed his other palm towards the now disorientated chunin's chest, with the light radiating along his hand within mere inches of its target.

"You wont be able to dodge this one!" Naruto then released a second burst of light straight into the man's torso, the force of which sent him hurtling through the air in a reckless flight.

**"Agggh!!!!"** After sailing some distance, Mayakashi's body finally crashed into the ground with a heavy thud, picking up a plume of dust as his body collided painfully with the earth, followed by an eerie silence.

Moments later, both Hinata and Lee landed at Naruto's side to check on him, just as the seals on his arms began to melt away again. The boy was just about to fall to his knees in exhaustion following his assault, but an strong grip quickly caught his arm before his legs gave way completely, holding him up and supporting his stance.

"Are you alright Naruto?" Lee asked as he continued to hold the boy up. Naruto just nodded heavily, before letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That attack just took a lot out of me." He mumbled tiredly. "I still haven't gotten used to using it."

His eyes then shifted to the motionless form resting in front of them, with the shimmering gold of his doujutsu wavering precariously in the equally radiant sunlight. Seeing the condition of their attacker, Hinata took a deep gulp of dread, before turning to her blond companion with a concerned expression.

"Naruto.... is he...?"

"No..." The boy cut her off. "Although I'm sure he's in a lot of pain right now, I held back on my last two attacks. I didn't charge it up enough to do too much damage, I..." The boy's face then fell into a frown, something both of his companions noticed easily.

"I.. didn't want to do that, not again. I don't want it to happen like the last time, it was too painful to watch."

What followed was a brief moment of relieved silence as the three youngsters recovered from their duel. It had gone better than expected and they were relieved that they had come through it relatively unscathed, save for some exhaustion on Naruto's part.

However, both Lee and Hinata were sure to make a point of of checking on their companion's condition, the Hyuuga herself having witnessed the after-effects of Naruto's jutsu more than once before. She couldn't help but feel somewhat concerned for her friend.

"Alright Naruto-kun, lets get you home." Lee spoke up once more, once they were certain he was fine."We'll have to tell one of the other officials about what happened and hopefully this guy will get what he deserves."

Unfortunately, the peace was not to last and before either three youngsters could even calm their still racing hearts, or move to leave the academy grounds, a slight shuffling caught their attention, drawing their gaze to the once motionless form that lay before them as it slowly dragged itself to its feet.

"You pitiful brats... I'll kill you..."

The hiss of a whisper carried heavily across the air, lain thick with the malice that it offered so carelessly. Soon afterwards, Mayakashi was on his feet once more, his eyes boring cruelly into the three students across from him and now filled with the unmistakable evidence of blood lust.

Lee and Hinata quickly fell back into a ready stance to prepare for battle once more and even Naruto managed to settle into a well kept taijutsu stance despite his exhaustion. Mayakashi simply regarded them with a sickening distaste, before spitting out a vile concentration of blood and saliva onto the floor at his feet.

"Disgusting." He growled bitterly. "The mere sight of you sickens me. To think that you really thought I would be defeated so easily. It's about time I tough you a lesson of respect to your superiors."

Naruto, Hinata and Lee watched as he then began to twist and stretch his limbs, grumbling disdainfully to himself as he sneered incoherent words under the disguise of his heavy breath. It was obvious by his actions that his movements had been limited by the damage he had sustained and the sealed tenketsu in his arms were no doubt causing some problems as well.

However, such setbacks did not seem to deter the chunin in his actions and Mayakashi seemed adamant to continue with what had been started.

There was only a brief calm that that seemed to settle for a short while, but it was not to last, being quickly followed by a suffocating chill of killing intent that suddenly choked the air around them. The cruel whisper that followed only further served to enhance the dread that seeped into the atmosphere.

"Alright... it's time to kill you brats once and for all..."

Mayakashi then charged once more, running at the three youngsters in a mad rage that clearly defined his hatred. Naruto simply steeled his heart for what was to come, trying his best to ignore the exhaustion that now nagged at his aching muscles.

He knew they were at a disadvantage now, with him having expended a great deal of his energy on his last two attacks, and he could no longer take any chances. He had to fight to protect his friends.

_'It looks like I have no choice... I have to use that...'_

--

Elsewhere, walking under the soft sunlight that bathed the dusty streets of Konoha, two lone figures made there way past the busy stalls and buildings that surrounding them, taking solace in one another's company as they continued towards their destination.

Iruka and Jiraiya had both remained silent ever since they had left the Hokage building, although it could not be determined whether such actions where born out of some sort of nervousness, or simply the younger chunin's haste in getting to his son.

The brisk pace they had adopted suggested the latter.

After a few more moments of uneasy traveling, Iruka finally spoke up, now become uncomfortable with the lack of words.

"So, Jiraiya, you said you wanted to give Naruto something for his birthday that you wanted my approval on. What did you have in mind?"

The sannin simply let out a heavy breath, somewhat relieved that his companion was still calm enough to talk to.

"Well..." He gulped nervously, an unusual characteristic for the usually brash and confident man. "I've been thinking a bit, about what happened in the hospital the first time I saw Naruto. Although I didn't understand back then, I've realized now just how much I was hurting him in my actions."

Jiraiya's voice then fell into a far more somber tone, a change that seemed to be matched by his equally saddened expression.

"I... I had left him... all alone." The older continued solemnly. "He had no-one to support and look after him and there was no family to claim him for their own. It was a grave injustice on my part to allow him to go through that kind of pain. How many birthdays did he suffer through because I wasn't there to protect him? How much harm could I have prevented if I had just looked after him in the first place?"

Iruka didn't respond. He didn't know if there were any words that could ease the situation and he doubted whether such a gesture should even be offered at the time. Instead, he simply waited for Jiraiya to continue, a silent request that the sannin obliged to, albeit with a heavy heart.

"That isn't even the worst of it." He mumbled softly.

"I also took away the most precious gift I could have ever given him. I took away the love of his parents and caused Naruto to doubt his own worth. I hid the truth about them even though he deserved to hear it more than anyone and in doing so, I caused even more pain and loneliness."

Jiraiya then took one more deep breath before finishing his words.

"I want to fix that, my greatest mistake... I want Naruto to know just how much his mother and father really loved him. I want to give that gift back to him, because he deserves to know about that love more than anyone..."

Iruka's eyes simply widened following the sannin's words. He understood the implications behind such an act, but he couldn't help but feel his heart warm at the offer.

"I think that would be a great gift..." He offered gently. "I think you're doing the right thing, even if it's the hardest."

The older man simply nodded his head. Jiraiya felt better, knowing that Iruka had approved of his plan and his tension quickly fell away, even allowing him to smile softly despite himself.

"Well, that's settled then." The older man sighed, before looking up to see that the academy was already within sight. "Now we just need to check on the gaki and make sure he's fine."

Before Iruka could even respond, a small, distant booming sound suddenly reached their hearing following by what looked like a cloud of dust creeping up from the direction of the academy building. Iruka and Jiraiya both felt their hearts freeze as they realized that the source of the commotion was, in fact, the same place the chunin had left Naruto that morning, a fact that did little to stop them as they suddenly darted off to see what had happened.

_'Naruto...'_

It didn't take long for the two shinobi to reach their destination as the entered into the academy grounds, but the sight that met their gaze was far from inviting.

"What... what' happened here?" Iruka mumbled to himself, noticing the debris scattered across the ground. Jiraiya followed the trail with his eyes, over to where it ended at the far side of the building.

"I can't be sure." He finally responded. "... but it looks like there's been a fight of some kind. I can't hear anything now though, so it might already be over, I just hope Naruto or anyone else hasn't been hurt. Lets go around the back and see what we can find."

With that, the two shinobi made their way around towards the back of the academy building, following the debris that marked the trail before them in complete and uneasy silence.

It was almost as though neither of them had the courage to speak, as if even a single word uttered from their lips would simply scream of the fear and tension they both felt in their hearts. However, when they finally reached the playground on the far side of the building, a startling site met their gaze.

Iruka couldn't help but gasp at the wreckage and destruction that met his stare, as his eyes wondered over the scarred earth that marred the once pristine haven. The man's gaze then travelled further along, his heart now racing mercilessly in his chest, until they finally found the subject of their concern, causing him to let out a breath he didn't even know he had encased withing the bounds of his lungs, while simultaneously uttering a single word in his whisper.

"Naruto..."

There, sitting on a nearby log, with both hands clasped firmly around the elegant blade he recognized all too well as Ryuuga, was a clearly exhausted Naruto, his body covered in dust and scratch marks. The boy was obviously using the sword to support his weight, if the way he was leaning was any indication of his fatigue, and he was panting heavily with both eyes closed in an effort to afford him some rest.

Even the glyphs that marked his blade seemed to flicker dimly, as if to match their wielder's exhaustion, something that concerned Iruka greatly.

The chunin's eyes then wondered to either side of the boy, where Hinata and Lee were both resting in their own manner, the former using a nearby bench while the latter simply stretched across the ground, unperturbed by the lack of structure beneath his body.

However, what surprised Iruka the most was the last figure that caught his, by now, bewildered attention. There, lying on the floor in between the three academy students was a motionless form sprawled across the ground. It took a moment for the scarred chunin to realize who it was, but he quickly recognized the figure as his fellow instructor, Mayakashi.

After a brief moment of surprised silence from both Iruka and Jiraiya, the former finally spoke up again, breaking the odd quiet that had otherwise encumbered them.

"Naruto, Lee, Hinata.... what happened?"

All three sets of eyes immediately shot up in response to the call, causing them to almost immediately light up as they caught sight of their untimely visitors.

**"Dad!!!!"** Naruto almost leaped to his feat in excitement, but his exhaustion quickly reminded of his weekend state despite his haste and quickly brought the strength from his legs once more, causing him to tumble as he stood.

The boy would have fallen to the floor had his decent continued uninterupted, but instead of finding the earth, he felt something warm break his fall, looking up to see Iruka's arms already wrapped around him and holding him firmly against the older mans chest.

_'How... how did he move so fast?'_

Naruto sighed weekly as he felt the mixed emotions of fear and relief flowing into him in a sudden flood, but what comforted him the most was the unmistakable love coming from the man's touch.

"Are you alright Naruto?" Iruka whispered softly into his ears.

The boy just nodded weekly despite himself and whispered a gentle 'yes' into his father's own ears in return, before allowing the blade that he had previously used to support himself to slip from his grip, before promptly falling to the earth where it flashed into non-existence moments later.

He then allowed himself to fall into his Iruka's hold completely, returning the comforting embrace that wrapped around him with what little strength his arms had left.

"Dad... you're late..."

Iruka almost giggled at the odd and almost reprimanding tone that met his ears, but he quickly shook his thoughts from the matter.

"Sorry kiddo, you know how these meetings go."

He then looked up again, noticing with a great deal of relief that Jiraiya was already tending to the other two nearby youngsters. Neither of them seemed to be injured and the only visible concern that could be noted was their apparent fatigue, no doubt the result of having just expended themselves in battle.

"What happened? He finally voiced again, once he was sure all three had some time to settle down. Naruto was about to answer, when Lee spoke up in his stead.

"It was Mayakashi-sensei..." The dark-haired boy announced bitterly. "We were on our way out from class when he tried to attack Naruto. Hinata and I were with him at the time, so we ended up fighting and... well I guess that's how we ended up like this.

To say Iruka was surprised was an understatement, and it was clear by Jiraiya's expression that he felt the same way. For three academy students to not only hold their own against an experienced chunin, but also defeat him in battle, was a shock to say the least.

Jiraiya was the next to speak up, once he had ensured that there were no serious injuries on his two patients.

"What about Mayakashi? Is he..."

"No..." Naruto cut him off. "He's still fine. Lee and Hinata managed to distract him long enough for me to put him under a sleeping genjutsu that Kurenai-neesan taught me."

The sannin quickly checked the man's vitals to confirm Naruto's words and, true to the boy's explanation, he could feel a steady, albeit slowed pulse, that clearly defined the man's state of deep slumber.

"That was very cleaver of you Naruto." He offered cheerfully, once he had completed his inspection. "You showed a lot of compassion in sparing your opponent, but not only that, it seems you have given us something we have been unable to attain until now. We finally have a potential lead on the one's responsible on the attacks that have been occurring."

Jiraiya then stood to his feet once more.

"Alright, clearly you kids are exhausted and you'll need some rest after what has happened. I'll make sure Hinata and Lee arrive home safely and explain the situation to their parents. I'll also make sure Mayakashi finds himself in Ibiki's care soon enough. Iruka, you should make sure Naruto gets home safely, we don't know if he is out of danger yet."

The chunin gestured his approval and then stood to his own feet, lifting Naruto up in the process and cradling him in his arms. The boy, however, tried in vein to remain strong and struggled to remove himself from the man's grip.

"No, I'm alright dad. I can walk, you don't need to worry about me."

"I don't think so." The chunin grinned in reply. "You could barely stand a moment ago, let alone walk, so just relax and let me take care of you. It's no trouble for me to carry you."

The boy was about to argue the point, but the soft smile that met his gaze quickly halted his efforts and he couldn't help but smile in return.

"Alright..." He then relaxed into his father's hold, before turning his gaze down towards his friends, his smile never once lifting from his face. "Guys... thanks for everything. I couldn't ask for better friends."

Hinata and Lee simply returned the gesture.

"Yosh, Naruto-kun!" The dark-haired boy grinned, before gesturing a 'thumbs up' in support. "You were great! We sure showed that jerk who he was messing with!"

The blond giggled at his friends remark, but his excitement was quickly stolen away as his eyes suddenly found the lavender ones that looked longingly up at him, along with his voice. The boy couldn't help but feel his lips tremble as the girl's face softened into a smile that defined her strange beauty, and one that caused her eyes to become that much warmer.

The girl didn't say anything at first, instead opting to bow her head in acknowledgment, but when she lifted her gaze again, her smile had only grown that much wider.

"I am glad we were able to protect you this time..." She whispered softly. The mere gesture almost caused Naruto to choke on the lump that formed in his throat, but Hinata continued regardless.

"I hope I can always be there, when you need protection. I wish to always protect you, to protect your smile and to see you happy."

Naruto could almost feel the sting of tears forming at the side of his eyes, but the emotions churning inside his heart could not have been warmer or more comforting. He couldn't even offer any words to respond and only managed to motion a shaky nod and a voiceless 'thank you' in return as it whispered of his shaking lips.

The girl recognized it, however, and bowed once more.

After that, the group finally went their separate ways, each moving to return to their homes. Jiraiya himself had already set off with his to charges in tow, and had also summoned a reasonable sized toad to carry their unconscious prisoner as well, although the amphibian followed a bit further behind, so as to not cause the younger students any alarm.

Iruka went his own way with Naruto held firmly in his grasp and it wasn't long before both were back in the confines of their home.

After entering through the familiar entrance that welcomed them to their haven, the chunin the brought Naruto to his room, before setting the boy down gently onto his bed, and sitting down next to him.

"So, that must have been quite nerve wrecking for you." Iruka offered gently, noticing as Naruto's eyes wondered to the floor once more.

The boy just nodded aimlessly, but still did not offer to speak a word, something that concerned the chunin next to him greatly. Iruka already knew of the issue that had been addressed earlier that day, during his meeting with the Hokage and he also knew that Naruto was still clearly affected by that very fear that now ate away at him.

"Naruto..." The boy looked up as he heard the soft call of his father reaching his ears, only to frown in concern as he noticed the saddened expression on Irukas face.

"Dad, what's wrong...?"

Before the boy could even finish, he felt two arms suddenly wrap around him, before pulling him into a tight hug. He wasn't sure what was going on, but the sadness and pain that suddenly flowed into his body was a clear indication of his father's emotions. He tried to pull away, so that he could look into the man's eyes once more, but the arms around him only tightened in his efforts.

The young blond was now starting to panic, unable to decipher Iruka's odd behavior or the mix of emotions flowing through their contact, but a soft voice addressed him once more before he could inquire as to what was wrong.

"I won't let them hurt you..."

Naruto suddenly froze in his motion as he heard the soft but clearly powerful words that reached his soul. The fear and anxiety that had flowed into him only moments before was suddenly replaced with a firm resolve and warmth, but even still he couldn't help his heart as it tightened painfully in his chest.

Noticing the boy's sudden silence, as well as the uneasy emotions returned to him, Iruka spoke up once more.

"Do you understand me Naruto?" He whispered again. "I won't let them hurt you this time. I promise, I'll do everything in my power to protect you. Nothing is going to happen, because I won't let it, so you don't have to be afraid anymore. I won't let you ever feel that kind of pain again..."

Iruka could feel Naruto's body begin to quiver following his words, but even still he simply continued to hold the boy closely, knowing full well that Naruto needed his strength now more than ever. He knew he had struck a cord in saying what he had, but he also knew such words simply had to be spoken.

Soon afterwards, he could hear the unmistakable whispers of sobs coming from the bundle in his arms, followed closely by the warm tickle of tears as they fell against his clothes. Naruto's arms then wrapped around the chunin's waist and pulled the boy even closer into Iruka's hold, allowing him the warmth of the man's embrace to wrap around him completely.

"Thanks dad..."

The soft whisper of undying gratitude was all Naruto could manage to voice, although it was muffled by the fabric that nestled against his face. However, such words were no longer necessary and Iruka would always offer his strength where he could.

It was all Naruto needed, just to ease his pain and anxiety and Iruka just continued to hold on as the youngster released his tension and fears until finally, his exhaustion claimed him in the form of an gentle slumber, allowing a subtle peace to embrace him once more.

--

Time can often be as cruel as the most painful of tortures, and with its slow passing is brought many pains and sufferings to those who are swept up in its inescapable and everlasting flow. Whether by the loss of loved ones who are taken by its hold, or simply the long separations of loneliness that it forces one to endure, such agony must often be suffered by the effects of such a universal force of will.

For Naruto, each day that passed in the week that followed his battle with Mayakashi only served to cause his heart that much more anguish and the boy's fears, even despite his father's promise to keep him from harm, still lingered within the depths of his soul, eating away the very fabric of his being. Every night, he would awaken to the heavy gasp of his own silent screams, his face filed with evidence of his nightmares passed while his waking eyes bore the sadness and fear that held onto him so mercilessly.

Even though, for the first time in his life, he had been offered the love he had always craved for, the boy couldn't help but feel alone in his suffering, a symptom of the past that had broken him so many times before.

However... although time might have been cruel, it was not without its own mercy and even though it often brought pain and suffering, it also carried with it a precious gift to ease the burden of its passing.

It brought... hope... the promise of hope for a better future, for love, for happiness and for peace and although Naruto did not yet know it, hope had already taken the boy into its caring embrace, coming in the form of a young man who worked tirelessly to ensure his safety and happiness.

And it was with the first warm rays of the sun's brilliant glory, as they caressed gently against a sleeping boy's whiskered face, that Naruto finally began to stir under its comforting hold, his eyes slowly peering open to reveal the first light of day, the day that he had long since dreaded in his nightmares.

_'It's...'_

Naruto slowly pulled himself up from the warm confines of his bed, before rubbing his eyes of the sleep that held them and then glancing briefly around his room. The boy couldn't help but sigh bitterly as he checked his surroundings, before slumping his shoulders and looking back down to the soft blankets that still covered his legs.

"It's today..." He whispered, almost unwillingly to himself, letting out a heavy breath that carried with it the tension that seemed to weigh down his chest.

The boy didn't even notice the haze that had gathered up in his eyes, nor the way his hands shook on his lap. However, soon his senses returned to him and he looked up again, before taking a deep gulp and gathering up what little courage he could muster.

The way the soft light bathed the room in its warm glow brought a sense of peace with it, but such feelings did not last, and the heart that sought to hold onto it so dearly wavered in doubt and fear.

"I should call him here. Maybe... maybe he'll..." Naruto swallowed the lump that caught in his throat, silently reprimanding himself for his own weakness, before bringing up his still shaking hands together and forming them into a seal.

He then moved onto the next symbol and followed the chain until it was complete, before touching his hand against the bed and pressing against it. A small flash of light and smoke followed shortly afterwards, before moving away to reveal the waking from of bronze before him, with two hazel eyes looking up to meet their owner's summoner.

"Naruto-chan, isn't it a bit early to be..."

Ryuukimi quickly halted in his words as he noticed the clearly evident torment hidden within his companion's eyes, but the young dragon could only frown as he saw the boy's face cringe into a pained expression, his lip quivering as he tried his best to speak.

"It's today..." The boy finally managed, almost breaking down completely as he whispered the carefully offered words. "Ryuukimi... I... I'm so afraid. I don't know how I'm going to do this."

The boy then buried his head into his cupped hands, hiding away the sorrow that showed clearly on his face, however, Ryuukimi quickly moved over to him, before snuggling up closely against his chest.

"Don't be afraid." The young dragon offered gently. "I promise, I won't leave you alone today. I won't let the same thing happen to you again like it happened before."

Naruto then removed his hands, and allowed them to lower down to the creature that huddled up against him, before falling around the small creature and holding it closely. It felt comforting, to feel so much strength and assurance flowing from something so seemingly majestic, and any tears of fear or anguish that might have been could no longer find there way into his eyes.

"Feel better?" Ryuukimi inquired, once he could feel Naruto's emotions calm down somewhat. The boy just nodded silently, a gesture that warmed the dragon's heart greatly.

"Good, now lets get up. I'm sure your dad is already awake and waiting for you. I bet he's even got food as well."

The last part was emphasized with a great deal of cheer on Ryuukimi's part, something that managed to make Naruto giggle, even of only a little. However, before either of them could move to action the protests of their stomachs, the door that led into the room that held them suddenly sprang open.

**"Good morning kiddo!"**

Naruto visibly jumped at the unexpected interruption and even Ryuukimi yelped as he felt the sudden rush of fear pour from the boy's touch, but the young blond quickly calmed down once he realised whom it was that had entered.

"Oh... dad... it's you." He sighed, placing his hand over his heart while looking up to see a somewhat concerned Iruka step up to them. However, the young chunin had noted, with a reasonable amount of sadness, the gold tinge that had briefly flashed in the boy's eyes, no doubt a symptom of his fear.

"Morning sunshine!" Iruka finally responded as cheerfully as possible, despite the odd reaction incurred by his arrival. "It's good to see you up and awake."

The chunin then shifted his gaze down to Ryuukimi, who was by now almost suffering from a minor heart attack.

"And I see you've already invited your young friend over as well, that's good. How about the three of us go and get some breakfast, shall we?"

The man then left the room again, leaving both youngsters gawking curiously after him. Naruto and Ryuukimi both turned to look at one another soon afterwards, both holding the same confused stare that was clearly betrayed in their expression and both contemplating the odd behavior they had just witnessed.

"What was that about?" The young dragon started, once he had found his strangely absent voice. Naruto just shook his head tiredly, despite his own curiosity on the matter.

"I don't know..." He mumbled. "But I have a feeling he's up to something. I've never seen dad act like that before."

--

It was only a few minutes later that saw the three of them at the kitchen table, tending to their morning meal. Naruto and Iruka both sat across from one another as they always had, while Ryuukimi simply took a position along its surface to the side, cleaning his own plate of food with a veracious enthusiasm and barely minding the mess he created in the process.

"Man, this is so good!" He mumbled as he chewed. "You really know how to cook!!!"

However, despite the dragon's apparent cheer, Iruka's thoughts were drawn elsewhere. The chunin couldn't help but notice that Naruto had yet to touch his food at all, instead simply opting to stare at it with an empty and rather solemn gaze. The way the boy's body seemed to shake every now and again stood in testament to his obvious anxiety and it was something that pained Iruka greatly.

"Naruto, are you alright?" The blond almost jumped as he heard his name called softly, but he quickly recovered from his fright, before looking up to Iruka.

The reaction, however, did not help the chunin's frown.

"You haven't eaten a single bite yet." The man continued, once he was sure he had Naruto's attention. "Are you feeling ill?"

Naruto just shook his head slowly, before allowing his eyes to wonder back down again, while his shoulders dropped in a heavy, saddened sigh.

"No, I'm alright." He replied sheepishly. "I... I just don't feel that hungry."

Of course, Iruka knew the truth of that matter and even Ryuukimi seemed to suddenly lose his appetite, but the scarred man decided it was best to leave it for the time being. After all, he had his own plans for addressing the problem and today he would make sure Naruto would be safe... and hopefully... happy.

A few moments later, they cleaned up the table and set out into the living room, with Ryuukimi now adopting a place on Naruto's shoulders.

Once they were settled down, Iruka turned to them and smiled softly.

"Alright, today's a very important day and we're going to make sure that you have a good time, so how about the three of us go out for a while and enjoy ourselves?"

Naruto almost visibly paled at the mere mention of going outside and leaving the safety of their home, but before he could object, Iruka quickly knelt down in front of him and placed a hand gently on his arm, squeezing it softly in reassurance.

"Naruto..." He whispered softly. "Remember what I promised you. I won't let anything happen and I'll keep you safe. You deserve to be happy today and I'm going to make sure of that."

The young boy simply remained silent for a moment, his eyes sinking into the soft gaze that met his own and bathing in the comfort that greeted them. He could feel the strength flowing from Iruka's touch and the iron resolve as it made its way to his heart and even though he was afraid, he couldn't help but feel a little stronger just because of that.

**"Yeah, and you have me as well!"** Ryuukimi beamed, breaking the odd silence with a heartfelt announcement. "I dare them to try anything. These teeth aren't here just to make me look cool!"

Naruto managed to giggle a little at that, even though he was afraid. He didn't know whether it was his own emotions that allowed such a gesture, or whether it was simply that of his overly enthusiastic companion's but it did make him feel better either way.

After contemplating the offer for a short while, the boy finally nodded his head in agreement, before bravely allowing a soft smile of his own.

"Alright... lets go.."

With that, the three headed out the entrance to their home, but before closing the house behind himself, Iruka peered back into the doorway and grinned, before whispering softly into the air.

"That's it then, the rest is up to you now. We'll be back a bit later, so I hope everything is alright."

In response to his carefully offered words, four shadows materialized into view, revealing the presence of Naruto's three former teachers as well as the older sannin that accompanied them. Kurenai was still holding her hands in the same seal that had kept them hidden inside her genjutsu, while Anko and Kakashi seemed to appear quite smug that they had managed to remain unnoticed for so long.

Jiraiya himself simply grinned, before waving his hand to send Iruka off.

"Get going already and don't worry about us." He offered cheerfully. "We'll have everything ready by the time you get back. You just keep an eye on Naruto and make sure he's comfortable. Let us handle the rest."

Iruka nodded his head in approval and then turned to follow his son, but before he could get far he heard one last call reach his ears as he stepped away from the entrance.

"And don't forget to enjoy yourself as well. Naruto will notice it if you are anxious, so you need to try and have a little fun for his sake. He needs to enjoy this day, he deserves it."

After that, there was silence once more as Iruka slowly approached his awaiting charge. The young man smiled softly as he walked up to the young blond waiting for him, before placing his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezing it gently.

"Are you ready?"

In return, Naruto looked up to him with forlorn eyes, but one's that held an endless amount of appreciation in the depths of their cerulean gaze. The boy gestured his silent approval soon afterwards, before allowing a smile of his own, trying his best to remain calm and collected.

"Alright then..." Iruka whispered. "Lets go..."

--

**AN:** And so finally the anniversary of the Kyuubi's attack has arrived. A day that all of Konoha grieves in memory of the loved ones lost in the fateful attack that had happened only a few years before. However, even despite the pain of such a fateful day, it was also the day that saw a young hero's birth into the world, one whose sacrifice was only scorned by those he had inadvertently saved.

Now the day that Naruto fears more than any other has come once more, bringing with it the nightmares of his past and the pains of his burden, but even still, a small light offers its hope to such a burdened soul, as truths are revealed and the promise of love is given where it had always been absent before.

The next chapter will be very interesting... and very heartfelt...

**Notes:**

**"Tenpo! Amatsu Yari!!!""** = Heavenly arts! Heaven's Lance!!!

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta - Kiiroi Senko


	41. Chapter 41 The Day of Mourning

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

**AN:** For anyone who did not see my last message, I have created a new profile on . The reasons I did so are explained on the new profile page if anyone is curious.

The new profile name is "TenraiSenshi".

For those of you who did see it, I know it may seem like a strange thing to do, but it was something I wanted. Please understand that I am _NOT_ abandoning my other fics. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I am hoping that this move will actually benefit my writing and help me get back into that feeling that made me enjoy it so much.

I'm sure a lot of you remember that I used to update weekly, sometimes in as little as four days per chapter, but since my life has hit a very sensitive and turbulent time, I haven't been writing as much as I would like to and things have become a little difficult to handle.

I guess I just lost touch with that side of me, so the new profile was created to introduce a fresh start. I thought that by clearing my head of all the clutter that's been happening, it would free that burden off my shoulders and make it easier for me.

It's more of a mental solution for myself than anything else. All my current stories will remain on this profile so that no-one loses any of them, while all of my new ideas are on my new profile. I will eventually stop using this one altogether, but for now I will still update "Eyes" here.

After this update, an update for my new story will follow, as well as one for the next chapter of 'Shattered Innocence', which should almost be complete as you read this. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me. I appreciate it.

--

**Chapter 41 - The Day of Mourning**

The soft whisper of an icy chill whispered across the gloomy, dank presence of a cold night air, embracing a small room in its unforgiving presence while a small young boy sat silently atop the ragged form of his bed. The damp sheets that covered his legs did little to keep him protected from the freezing temperatures and so it was all he could do to huddle up to his own knees, trying his best to keep warm while his own shivers stood in testament to his never ending plight.

Naruto let out a deep, tired sigh as he once again turned to look out of the stained window that resided beside him, looking down onto the rainy streets below which had since emptied of any presence or life.

He felt alone, more alone than he had ever felt before, and now he didn't even have anyone to watch passed his view to offer him any form of solace or company, no matter how much of an illusion it may have been. There were no hopeful memories or even the hopes of his dreams to comfort him, only the bitter cold that touched against his skin and the pain that had now settled into his aching heart.

"I wonder if this year will be the same." The boy sighed disdainfully. "I wonder if they'll let the other kids just tease me again or if they'll just leave me alone."

For Naruto, it was a day that he had long since come to dislike and even regard with fear, the day of his birth. He didn't know why, but his wardens took particular measures to ensure that this day was more painful for him than the others. Sometimes they would take away his poor excuse for a bed and make him sleep on the floor with no food for the night, while other times they would act in false kindness and invite him to dinner only to have him watch in sadness as the other children ate in front of him while he wasn't even allowed to nibble on their scraps.

In all seven years of his life, he was never shown any kindness or mercy and he knew that tonight may have just been the same as all the rest.

"They'd probably make me stand in the rain tonight." He whispered bitterly to himself, hiding a sudden sob as it wracked his body.

An icy drop of water from the ceiling hit the side of his cheeks moments later, causing him to lift a hand to wipe it away along with the tear that was hidden in the wake of its presence. However, even his moment of silent reprieve was short lived, and soon the door to his room began to slowly creek open, causing Naruto shuffle uncomfortably before looking to see his approaching visitor.

Moments later, a familiar figure stepped out of the shadow of the hallway and into his view, her identity betrayed by the mop of straight, light blond hair that flowed passed her face and the deep green eyes that shone from her gaze.

Naruto took a deep gulp of dread following her untimely arrival, knowing full well who she was and what her presence meant for him. However, surprisingly enough, her face was unusually absent of the menace that usually adorned her expression and instead she took a moment to offer a cheerful smile.

That caught the boy off guard.

"Well, it seems like no-one has come to visit you yet, Naruto-kun." The woman offered gently, her smile never once leaving her lips.

Naruto just raised his eyebrows curiously, surprised by the affectionate title given to him where it had always been absent before. The fear that filled his eyes was still present, however, despite the sudden gesture of warmth offered to him.

"Aw, now don't be shy." The woman began again, seeing his reluctance. "I know how things have been for you before, but tonight I decided that we should turn over a new leaf. I have a special treat for you, Naruto-kun and there are some people here who came to see you."

Naruto's eyes almost immediately lit up with hope, causing the woman's smile to widen even further. It was easy for her to see the hopeful excitement in his eyes and it only made what she was about to do that much more pleasing.

"D-do you really mean it?" The young boy stammered cautiously. "Are there really people here who want to see me?" The figure across from him simply nodded her head, before motioning for him to follow her.

"That's right, every single one of them are here just for you, I promise. Now lets go and see them, shall we?."

It wasn't long before Naruto was out of his bed and following by her side, his excitement and joy quickly blinding him to the possible danger that lay ahead. The boy didn't even bother to put on his saddles to protect his feet from the icy cold floor beneath his steps and the chill that seeped through the tears in his clothing did little to bother him now.

He was just so happy, so full of a hopeful joy that he had long since craved. Little did he know of the danger that had awaited him, or the pain and sadness he would soon endure.

After walking for a short while, the pair finally arrived at another room further down the hallway, its interior hidden only by the closed door that now barred their entrance. However, Naruto could already hear talking coming through from the other side and judging by the amount of voices that muffled through the wooden frame before him, there was a fairly large crowd waiting for him.

However, despite his excitement, Naruto couldn't help it as his body suddenly began to shake nervously, as if warning him against entering, but before he could even register such feelings, the woman beside him moved her hand to the door, before gently pushing it open. After that, the room inside slowly crept into view, and the voices that had been present moments before suddenly fell silent again, as all eyes turned to face the subject of their new found attention.

"Ah, it looks like our entertainment has finally arrived." One voice called out in the silence that had ensued.

Naruto took an unwilling step back thereafter despite himself as he suddenly became the center of everyone's attention, but before he could back away altogether, a voice addressed him once more, originating from the woman beside him.

"Go ahead." His caretaker suggested softly. "They're all here to see you remember. You don't want to keep them waiting do you?"

The woman then prodded him forward, albeit not too gently this time, before leading him to the center of the room while the crowd that had gathered began to part to make way for their entry. Naruto's wavering eyes simply shifted from face to face, noting with a great deal of discomfort that all of those present were adults, but what bothered him even more was that many of them were holding objects in their hands, ranging from glass bottles, to wooden sticks.

That factor alone caused his stomach to knot uncomfortably.

However, the single thing that scared him the most were their eyes. He had seen those eyes before, many times, and he knew the malice hidden behind such a gaze. At that moment, all his joy was lost, all his happiness and cheer was completely gone and the cold that he had numbed himself to before had now revisited his body in full force, causing him to shiver violently as he continued forward under the heavy burden of dread that now filled his heart.

It was at that moment, that he suddenly caught sight of something at the center of the room, as it drew the unwilling attention of his gaze.

Hanging from the ceiling above was a long stretch of rope, falling down from its height and ending its length a few feet above the wooden floor below. Suddenly, the boy's heart began screaming for him to run away, warning him of the danger he was in, but he was simply too afraid to stop now.

He knew that if he ran, it would only hurt even more and somewhere deep inside his heart, he still hoped desperately that nothing would go wrong, that it was all just a figment of his own fears.

_"Naruto-chan?"_

Suddenly, the soft trickle of a single, lone tear journeyed down the side of his icy cheeks, as if to speak silently of the truth that had already since embedded itself in his heart. Shortly after that, both Naruto and the woman had found themselves at their destination just in front of the rope and the crowd around them had since closed in, blocking any path out from existence and causing the boy's heart to race that much more.

The woman beside him then turned to face him again, her sickening grin still clearly visible across her lips, only this time with a far more nefarious and sinister tone.

"Alright..." She began smoothly. "Now it's time to give you your surprise. Hold out your arms for me." Naruto simply looked up at her, his eyes evident with his growing tears as well as the fear that clearly marked his gaze.

"But why?" He choked nervously. "What do you want to..."

**"Do it now!"** The taller blond cut him off sharply.

This time, the sweetness that had been present in her tone before had long since disappeared and only a bitter cruelty remained. Not wanting to anger her any further, Naruto did as she commanded, holding both of his now shaking arms, outstretched in front of his body.

Satisfied with his obedience, his caretaker then moved slightly off to the side, allowing passage for another man to step forward. Naruto immediately recognized him as one of the other wardens that would often 'visit' him and his heart quickly sank at the mere presence of such a cruel soul.

Soon the tears that he had held back so bravely before began to flow in full force but such a gesture of fear only served to cause a wicked smile on the man's face, who, moments later, took hold of the rope that hung from the ceiling and began to wrap it around Naruto's wrists.

"Don't worry boy." He chided mockingly. "We're just going to play a little game with you, that's all. It'll be fun, I promise."

_'At least, it will be for us.'_

The man did little to hold back the cruel chuckle that escaped his lips and a quick pull from both of his arms tightened the rope around Naruto's wrists, causing the boy to yelp in pain as the force of his movement cut into him.

"Ow... it's really tight." The boy sobbed. "Please can you loosen it a little bit?"

The man simply ignored his desperate plea, before taking a hold of another rope and pulling on its end, causing Naruto's arms to lift into the air as the rope around his own wrists pulled upwards.

"Ngh! Please stop. It really hurts." The boy pleaded again, but to no avail.

After a few more moments, his arms were now completely raised above his head, with the rope around his wrists pulling him up so tightly that the boy's feet were barely able to touch the floor anymore. The warden then tugged sharply at the other end of the rope once more, causing Naruto to yelp again as the sudden jolt wracked his body and cut into his wrists, before the man tied the end of it to a large piece of furniture in order to secure their prey for the coming event.

"There we go, we're all set." He announced triumphantly, before turning to look at the youngster that now hum precariously in his snare.

"Good work." The woman beside him offered. "Now we can begin without any problems."

By now, the tears that fell from Naruto's face were already beginning to drench his shirt in their flow and the sobs that shivered across his body only caused him that much more pain as the movement cut into his arms that much more.

"W-why are you doing this?" The boy cried, trying his best to pull at the floor beneath him with his toes. "You said it would be different this time. You promised... Nghh!!!!!"

The boy's words were quickly cut off as a hard slap shattered into the side of his face, causing him to whimper in fear and pain.

"You should learn to be respectful." The offending woman replied non-nonchalantly, following her blow. "I don't appreciate back-chatting. Things will be different from now onwards, as I said, but I never said they would be better, now did I?"

Naruto's eyes simply widened in realization, but quickly fell into a soft, empty frown soon afterwards. The boy's body simply slumped in resignation following that, as if he had already accepted what was about to happen to him.

He knew that being happy was too good to be true, he had known that from the beginning. It was only the bittersweet offer of hope that had brought him this far, but now that hope had been slashed completely, along with any promise of a night without pain and fear.

_"Naruto-chan, what's wrong?"_

The young boy reluctantly allowed for another heavy sob as the crowd around him began to close in around him, some of them doing little to hide what would soon happen to him as they batted their makeshift weapons into their hands.

"Please... please don't hurt me."

After that, Naruto's eyes squeezed completely shut, but even still he could feel the air around himself becoming thick and heavy as it was choked by the crowd. He could also smell the traces of alcohol oozing off of the breaths of some of those around him and the boy knew that it would only make things that much harder for him.

_'Please... please let it not hurt too much.'_

After that, Naruto felt a shadow fall over his closed eyes, signifying the start of his nightmare as a weapon was raised into the air to strike. The youngster simply tightened his now completely exposed body to prepare for the blow, knowing there was no chance of protecting himself with his own arms now that they were bound tightly. He was simply a beating post hung up for the entertainment of others, a mere toy for their enjoyment and brutality.

_'please...'_

And then it began, as the first blow finally descended down on him both suddenly and painfully, marking the beginning of his nightmare and the long night of pain that would follow.

_"Naruto-chan! **SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!"**_

--

The soft touch of skin, the gentle caress of sunlight and the warmth of the gentle and empowering heart that endured such feelings beat a soft tune of uneasy silence as it endured the mix of emotions running through its core. Ryuukimi's golden-bronze wings shimmered gently in the soft shower of sunlight that fell over them, as he stretched and fluttered them in an effort to ease his rest-induced fatigue. However, what he didn't easily show was the discomfort that had now settled into his being.

Since they had left the house from which they had set out from, the world had fallen suddenly, and rather frighteningly, silent. Even the streets that they traversed as the three made their way through the village, were awkwardly absent of populace, with only a few souls wandering their otherwise empty paths.

Ryuukimi was still riding on top Naruto's shoulders, still keeping a careful eye out for each passer who's own gaze settled so coldly onto the boy beneath him, but it was not the silence or even the hateful glares that really caused him discomfort.

What really bothered him were the emotions he could feel flowing from the touch of his friend. All the pain, all of the fear, all of the sadness that emanated from his soul, it was almost overwhelming, and even though Ryuukimi did his best to provide what strength he could, even a heart as strong as his own couldn't help but feel somewhat weaker under such a heavy burden.

However, despite that, it was still a burden he was more than willing to accept, if it did anything to help ease the weight on Naruto's own tested heart. He only hoped that he could help somewhat lessen the load that the boy still carried.

At that very point in time, Iruka was busy leading the blond youngster and his usually energetic companion through the dusty streets set before them, with the early morning sunlight still only just beginning to warm the otherwise cool air, while creating an enriching light that seemed to bathe their surroundings in an odd and gentle peace. However, even such a hopeful gesture of warmth did not last long and soon Naruto's anguish became too much for the companion that rode on top of him to simply bear silently.

"N... Naruto-chan?" The young dragon stammered uneasily, betraying an odd reluctance in his manner. "Are you alright?"

The young boy he had addressed simply continued to walk in silence and even Iruka turned his vision slightly to glance back at them from the corner of his eyes, as if also waiting to hear the youngster's response.

"Naruto-chan?" The dragon tried again.

He could feel Naruto's emotions deteriorating and before long, a sudden rush of fear and panic began to flow through their touch. It was almost as though the boy was lost in the dark confines of his own dreams and if his emotions were anything to go by, the young creature atop his shoulders already knew what the subject of his thoughts were. Ryuukimi determined immediately that something was very wrong, so he did the only thing left that he could think of.

"Naruto-chan! **SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!"** He shouted indignantly, straight into his companion's ear.

Suddenly, the boy underneath him came to his senses with a startle, jumping slightly on his feet as a result of his fright. The youngster then looked up to the voice that had addressed him, only to see two worried hazel-bronze eyes looking back down at him.

"Are you alright Naruto-chan?" Ryuukimi offered softly again, seeing that he finally had his companion's attention. "You looked like you weren't even here with us. Were you daydreaming?"

"I... I'm fine..." Naruto finally managed to croak, trying his best to rid his mind of the memories that had plagued it moments before. "Please, don't worry about me."

However, despite his efforts to appear sincere, Ryuukimi did not buy his explanation for a second.

"No, you're not fine." The dragon sighed in response. "I can feel that you're not fine. As long as I'm touching you, I can feel how anxious you are no matter how much you try to hide it, not to mention that you haven't stopped shaking since we left the house."

Following an uneasy huff from the boy behind him, Iruka suddenly stopped in his tracks just as Naruto let out a weary groan, bringing then all to an abrupt halt. The young man then turned on his heels and looked down to face Naruto, who had since looked up to meet the chunin's gaze with his own curious stare.

Soon afterwards, he moved his hand and placed it gently on the boy's shoulder, before frowning softly.

"He's right." The young man sighed. "You're shaking like a leaf. Look Naruto, I know this is hard for you and I understand how nervous you must be, but you don't have to try and hide it from us. That's why we're here with you, after all."

At that, Naruto simply let out a deep, shaky sigh, clear betraying the truth in his expression as it was already evident in the wake of his wavering gaze. His eyes quickly wondered to the ground soon afterwards, but he otherwise made no effort to respond, knowing full well that his voice would easily give away his discomfort.

Iruka, seeing his less than favorable reaction, quickly knelt down in front of him, before gaining his saddened blue eyes and locking them into a reluctant stare. The chunin then smiled softly, surprising Naruto with the sudden gesture and causing the boy's face to soften and fall from the mask that he had otherwise desperately tried to adopt.

"Naruto, nothing's going to happen to you. I made a promise to protect you and I intend to keep it. Ryuukimi is here as well and neither of us will allow you to come to harm. Isn't that right Ryuukimi?"

"You bet ya!" The dragon boasted enthusiastically. "I dare anyone to try their luck. I'll destroy the person who tries to hurt you before they even know what's hit them."

Naruto just took a deep gulp, but tried his best to find his voice despite himself. The strength Ryuukimi's own confidence provided, however, seemed to filter through somewhat while giving him just enough will to speak.

"But, what if another ninja attacks us again? I don't want either of you to get hurt for..."

"We won't." Iruka cut him off. The young man then squeezed the boy's shoulder tightly.

"Naruto, there's something you need to understand. I am your father now and I also worry about your safety. Any parent would want to protect their son, and it's not like I would have brought you out here if I didn't think it would be alright. Do you understand?"

Naruto's eyes widened slightly at that, but Iruka still continued with his explanation before the boy could respond.

"What I am trying to say, is that I wouldn't have taken you out into the village if I didn't think I was strong enough to protect you. That is the truth, so please trust in me. I won't let anything happen this time."

_'After all, you're not the only one who has gotten stronger in this past year. I also made a promise as well...'_

The young boy simply pondered on Iruka's words, his face twisting into an odd frown as he continued to stare into the dark brown eyes that looked back in him. He wanted to say no, that it wasn't alright and that he wanted to go back home, but for some reason the words never came.

He wasn't sure why, but somehow he felt a bit stronger now. He could feel the sincerity flowing from the touch shared with his father, but more importantly, he could feel the truth in the man's heart. He knew, right there and then, that Iruka was certain of what he had spoken about, that the man fully believed that what he had said was true and it only helped ease Naruto's tension that much more.

"Aright." Naruto whispered softly, after some thought. "I believe you. I believe in you..." Iruka simply beamed in response, before standing upright once more.

"That's great, I'm glad. Now just try to relax a little and have a bit of fun, because today... you deserve it."

Naruto nodded his head in response and even managed to smile a little as well. It was almost as though the burden that had weighed down on him before had suddenly began to fade away and it made him happy to feel the weight lifting off of his heart. He felt comfortable now, or at least much more so than he had before and even his shaking had subsided considerably.

"Alright, now that all of that is settled, let's eat!!! I'm starved!" Both Naruto and Iruka smiled at the sudden announcement of enthusiasm on Ryuukimi's part.

"Actually, I'm pretty hungry myself." Iruka responded. "Lets get some ramen at Ichiraku's. It'll be our treat for today."

After that, they set off once more, heading to their destination with newfound exuberance.

--

It wasn't much longer until the three found themselves looking over the familiar site of the ramen stand that Naruto had long since come to admire, causing both his own and Ryuukimi's mouths to water expectantly. Unfortunately, their moment of hopeful anticipation was short lived as both caught sight of the sign that hung from the entrance, causing their expressions to sink precariously.

"Closed for the day huh?" Iruka sighed, reading the bold words printed before him. "I guess we're out of luck then."

The chunin almost immediately regretted his choice of words when he saw both of his younger charges sink into what could only be described as despair, but before any of them could act any further, a motion suddenly caught there attention, as the curtains that hid the interior of the ramen stand began to shuffle.

Soon afterwards, they flung to the side, revealing the familiar figure of Teuchi as he stepped out into view, carrying what looked like a refuse bag which he promptly deposed of in a nearby dumpster. He was just about turn around again, when Naruto called out to him, drawing his attention with a cheerful greeting.

"Hey old man!"

The store owner quickly turned around to face the voice that had addressed him, only to look down on the smiling blond youngster and his dragon. However, despite the boy's apparent cheer, he could see the reluctant fear hidden in such a gesture.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite customer, coming to pay me a visit!" The old man beamed in response, allowing for a friendly grin as he did so. "I haven't seen you around here in a while. Almost thought you had given up on yer good old ramen."

Naruto just grinned sheepishly, while rubbing the side of his face where Ryuukimi's tail had just brushed his tail against the boy's whisker marks.

"Well, dad's been making me eat healthy and stuff, so I can't come as much as I want. We were gonna come and eat today but..."

The boy's face then fell into a saddened frown, although he did his best to hide it. Luckily for him, however, Iruka had already noticed the change in his expression and promptly took over where Naruto left off, sparing the boy the burden of his own disappointment.

"Well, we noticed the sign that said you were closed." He offered politely. "I'm not too surprised though. Business must be difficult on a day like this."

"That's the problem." Teuchi confirmed, nodding his head in agreement. "Most of Konoha's citizens are scarce on the Day of Mourning and many of them remain indoors for privacy, so I get very few customers, if any at all. It isn't really worth it for me to keep my stall open for the few that may come."

The man then noticed the way Naruto's expression fell even further at the mere mention of what day it was, causing his own cheery mood to dampen considerably. However, the change was short lived, and soon his lips curled up into an even brighter smile than that which had adorned them only moments before.

"However, I could make an exception for my number one customer. How about I cook you guys up a little something? It'll be my treat to celebrate young Naruto's return."

Both Naruto's and Ryuukimi's expressions immediately brightened at the suggestion, while Iruka simply raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Really?" The young blond stammered in disbelief, following their unanimous silence. "Would you really do something like that for us?"

"Of course." The old man across from him laughed in response. "Hahaha! You make it sound like I'm moving a mountain, but I assure you it's no problem. Now don't you worry about a thing and go take a seat inside. You'll be the only customers I serve today so everything will be on the house."

It wasn't long before both Naruto and Ryuukimi had already rushed behind the curtains that hid the interior of the ramen stand, both now excited about the prospect of their favorite mouth-watering dish. Only Iruka and Teuchi were left behind, both watching after the two youngsters as they disappeared from view.

Once the bundles of energy were gone, iruka quickly turned to face his older counterpart, who also moved to meet his gaze moments later. The young man then spoke up softly once more, making sure that the boy he was looking after would not be able to hear.

"You... you're very kind to do this for him." The chunin began softly. "Most of the other villagers would probably be using him for a beating post by now and yet you show him so much kindness. I don't understand... why? Why go through so much trouble?"

Iruka had already known that Teuchi was around during the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha, in fact he would often visit Ichiraku's when he was a younger boy himself, back when the old man had first opened the establishment. He also knew that the restaurant owner had lost friends in the attack, which was one of the reasons he was so curious as to the strange show of kindness.

"Is it hard to believe that I just want to see a young boy smiling?" Teuchi finally responded, almost bluntly. Iruka's eyes simply widened in surprise, at which point the old man continued.

"I know who that boy is, I knew the moment I first saw him, and I know what everyone else thinks about him too. I often hear the rumors and foul talk shared between my customers regarding him as well and I also know those bruises he had come with the first time you brought him here were not the result of some school fight as he had claimed."

Iruka simply lowered his head, an expression that only barely betrayed his remorse regarding the way Naruto had been treated before they started living together.

"However..." Teuchi continued. "I also know that he is not the monster everyone makes him out to be. Every time I see him smile, every time he laughs happily while he visits my store, I can see the child inside him, I can see that innocence, and it saddens me that he has had to endure so much pain and loneliness to gain any amount of that happiness that he so very much deserves. That is why..."

The chunin listening simply nodded his head in understanding, before mouthing a silent 'thank you' in return. The two men then made their way inside to join the waiting youngsters.

--

Soon the tantalizing smells of steaming broth quickly enveloped the noses of everyone present, as the air became thick with their rich and overpowering fragrance. Even Ryuukimi couldn't help it as his mouth fell agape in preparation, almost instinctively, while his tongue watered expectantly, as if impatiently awaiting the meal that would come.

However, his moment of ignorant bliss was short lived as a tepid voice called out to him from below.

"Um, Ryuukimi, you're kinda drooling on me..."

The young dragon quickly snapped out from his trance and looked down to the boy below him, grinning sheepishly as he noticed the deadpanned expression that met his gaze as well as the perpetrating blob of slobber as it ran down the side of the young blond's cheek.

"Hehehe. Sorry Naruto-chan." He grinned sheepishly. "I guess I kinda got carried away. It's just that the smells are so good I could almost taste it on my tongue."

Iruka, however, simply laughed at the exchange, before handing Naruto a serviette to wipe himself off with. Moments later, Teuchi came to the front of the stand once more, before speaking up to address them.

"Alright, so what will it be for our fine young guests today? Remember, you can ask for anything you want. Today, it's on the house."

Naruto's face almost lit up like a bonfire at the man's words and he immediately broke out into a massive, joyful grin. It was an expression only matched by his equally eager companion and Iruka could only smile seeing it.

"Yay!!! That's so awesome!!!" The boy cheered enthusiastically. "Um... then I'll have... **ONE OF EVERYTHING!!!**"

Iruka was about to protest the sudden and seemingly ridiculous demand, when Naruto spoke up again, this time in a softer and more reluctant voice.

"I mean... can I have one of everything... please?"

The last word was choked out with all the hope and sincerity Naruto could muster and if Iruka had planned on denying his request before, any hope of such an attempt had quickly been torn asunder. The way in with the boy's deep blue eyes pleaded so innocently didn't help either and it was almost heartbreaking to witness.

Luckily, such intervention wasn't needed, because in response to the young blond's request, Teuchi simply smiled, before nodding his head in approval.

"Of course you can little one. After all, it's a special day for you, from what I hear." The old man then turned to receive Iruka's order as well, although he did not notice the way Naruto's expression dropped slightly following his last words.

After that, it wasn't long before they had all received their meals, with Naruto clumsily shifting from one bowl of ramen to the next, while testing out each different flavor with unmatched enthusiasm and vigor. He also made a point of feeding Ryuukimi in time with each of his own helpings as well and the small creature did a good job of consuming his meal without messing on his companion, although with no small measure of effort on his part.

About half way into their meal, Iruka decided it was time to discuss something he had been meaning to address for some time, announcing his aim with a soft cough just as he had finished swallowing a mouthful of ramen.

"Naruto..." The young man began, gaining the boy's attention. "There's something we need to talk about. It's about the attack that happened the other day at the academy."

Ryuukimi almost jumped at the sound of the man's words, and Naruto could immediately feel the young dragon's temper spike to dangerously high levels.

"Alright, whose ass do I need to kick now?" He huffed angrily.

"Don't worry about that." Iruka cut him off. "Actually, if you are worried about teaching the transgressor a lesson, you'll be glad to know that Naruto and his friends handled it pretty well. I don't think an academy instructor expected three ninja in training to so effectively... _'kick his ass'_ I believe is the term you use."

Naruto simply blushed in embarrassment following the hinted praise hidden in the expression of Iruka's voice. The way Ryuukimi looked down at him with cheerful approval didn't quite help the red coloration of his cheeks either, but he quickly brushed those feelings aside for the matter at hand.

"So... what about the attack?" The youngster croaked nervously, having grown somewhat nervous regarding the nature of the topic. "Have they found anything out yet?"

"Well... unfortunately there hasn't been much luck there." Iruka sighed despondently. "Although Mayakashi-sensei has been interrogated about his involvement with the situation we had a few months ago, it seems as though a seal has been placed on his mind that is preventing him from giving any answers."

The young chunin then let out a deep sigh, having already long since known how difficult it would be to say what was necessary. However, he knew he couldn't hesitate now, otherwise it would only be that much harder.

"Naruto, the problem is the amount of danger both you and the academy itself are in as long as there is a risk of attack. Just the fact that there was a seal placed on Mayakashi's mind alone shows that although he was directly involved with what has been happening and was even responsible for planning the excursion outside of Konoha, he may not be the mastermind behind each attack."

"And you think it will happen again..." Naruto finished, stealing the words right out of Iruka's mouth. "You're worried that if it happens again, some of the others might get hurt..."

Iruka simply remained quiet, somewhat stunned by Naruto's unusually intelligent deduction for a child his age, but also saddened by the way the boy's voice carried his answer so bitterly. After a few moments of silence, he finally nodded, confirming his son's suspicions and causing the boy's face to fall into a frown.

"I'm afraid that's just it." He sighed. "As long as you are at the academy, there is a risk that an attack might bring harm to the other students around you and to your friends. The Hokage is deeply concerned about this, so he suggested a plan to prevent that risk. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's the plan?" Naruto asked pointedly.

"Well, you know Lee is taking the graduation exam next week to become a genin, right?" The boy simply nodded his head in confirmation, prompting Iruka to continue.

"Well the Sandaime has suggested that you should take the exam to become a shinobi as well. That way the risk is reduced by having you out of the academy and harms way and at the same time you will still learn under the care of a jounin instructor, so you don't have to give up on your dreams."

Naruto's eyes widened at that, clearly betraying his shock.

"B-but, it's so soon." The blond stammered precariously. "I... I don't know if I'm strong enough to be a ninja yet. What about my friends? What about Hinata? I have to leave them behind and I don't know if I can do that alone..."

"I'm sure she would understand." Iruka interjected. "And you will at least have Lee, if he graduates alongside you. Besides, as long as you are in the academy, Hinata is in danger as well."

The man immediately regretted his words when he noticed the way Naruto's eyes suddenly widened in horror, as if the very possibility of him bringing harm to his friend was simply too painful to bear. The chunin could have sworn the boy was about to collapse right there on the spot, so he quickly grabbed his shoulders to hold him steady.

"I... I'm sorry Naruto. I didn't mean it that way..."

"No... you're right." Naruto cut him off solemnly, his eyes suddenly sinking to the floor while flashing with a hint of gold.

"Hinata was hurt in the forest because of the men that were after me. Kiba's arm and leg were broken when we were attacked and the others were put in danger as well. Even Lee was almost killed while trying to protect me the first time I was attacked... all of you were almost killed because of me..."

Iruka simply watched as Naruto raised both of his hands up to his own lap, before looking down into his opened palms and letting out a deep, heavy breath. Ryuukimi also remained silent as well, although the young man looking over them suspected that the emotions the dragon felt at the time may have warranted such a reaction.

"It isn't fair..." Naruto finally continued, breaking the silence while squeezing his hands tightly closed. "I just want to be close to the people I love, but all I ever end up doing is getting them hurt. Even you dad... even you were almost..."

"No, don't do that to yourself again..."

This time, Iruka finally spoke up, halting Naruto's own saddened mumblings while taking a hold of both of his hands into his own, gaining the boy's now fully golden eyes in the process.

"You're right about one thing Naruto. It _is_ unfair, but it is _not_ your fault that things happened this way and you shouldn't have to suffer these consequences. You have never hurt anyone intentionally, in fact if anything you've always done your best to protect your friends, even if it meant suffering because of it. That's why I know you are ready enough to take the exams, because I believe that you already have that strength inside you and although it's hard, I truly believe you have what it takes to make us all proud."

Naruto's gaze wavered slightly following Iruka's words, almost as though he was finding it hard to believe that he was as capable as his father believed him to be.

"Do you really mean it?" The boy asked hopefully. "Do you really think I am strong enough?"

"I _KNOW_ you are strong enough." Iruka replied confidently, allowing for a reassuring smile. "And I think Ryuukimi would agree with me as well, after all, he knows you better than most."

**"YOU BET YA!!!!"** The dragon cheered. "Besides, with me at your side, we'll kick everyone's asses if they try to mess with ya!!!"

Naruto just smiled at that, somewhat happy to have been given such unwavering support from his company. If his father believed in him, then it must have been true and he had decided right there and then what he was going to do.

"Alright... I'll do it. I'll take the exam and try my hardest to become a genin. If I can protect everyone that way, then I'll be happy."

--

After all them had finished their meals Teuchi waved the trio off, seeing them outside the store and on their way. By the time they had stepped back into the open, the sun had already since started making its way back towards the horizon, marking its slow decent towards darkness as the day entered into its closing hours.

Naruto took in a deep breath as he felt the warm and gentle breeze tickling against the side of his face, before closing his eyes to allow himself a moment of peace as he basked in the gentle caress that now embarrassed him.

Even Iruka could see how much more at peace he was now and it warmed his heart to know that he had at least succeeded somewhat in making Naruto comfortable despite his past experiences and the haunting memories that still hid in the wake of his nightmares.

Ryuukimi was also far more relaxed as well, no doubt a result of the emotions flowing from the touch of his companion, although he still made a point of searching their surroundings, lest some sinister force dared to attack them in their moment of vulnerability.

After allowing the two youngsters a few moments to themselves, the chunin finally spoke up again, gaining both of their attention once more.

"So you two, what do you guys want to do now? We can do anything you want."

Both youngsters turned to face the man, but before either of them could respond, a voice suddenly called out, breaking the peace that had embraced them only moments before and shattering it into a million pieces.

**"Look, there he is! There's the monster right there! It's all his fault!"**

Before either one of them could even turn to face the intrusion, a sudden flash of reflecting sunlight marked the flight of a stray kunai as it was suddenly flung towards them, traveling across the air in a blinding speed.

Naruto only managed to notice it just before it reached him, but it was already too late to avoid. However, before the deadly projectile could land its mark, it was suddenly halted mid-flight, spinning around a single finger which had suddenly intervened just in front of the boy's eyes.

**"Agh!!!" **

The sudden yelp of alarm that uttered from both Naruto's and Ryuukimi's voices clearly betrayed their startle, and they both jumped somewhat in alarm. However the young dragon himself only narrowed his eyes into a dangerous glare thereafter, before turning his hardened gaze towards the source of the attack, where a single man stood just across the street, leading the head of a small crowd of disgruntled villagers and glaring back at them angrily.

The headband adorned across the man's forehead clearly identified him as a shinobi and that only caused Ryuukimi's anger to grow that much more.

**"Why you little... I'm going to destroy you for that!!!! I'll tear you apart!!!"** The dragon growled angrily.

However, before Ryuukimi could move to act, Iruka quickly placed a hand in front of him, halting his advance. The young man then looked back down at them before smiling softly, a gesture that surprised both the boy and his fuming counterpart.

"There's no need for that." He offered gently. "You two just stay behind me, I'll handle this."

Naruto was reluctant at first, but he found himself unable to argue with the man. It was as though Iruka's smile alone had diffused any anxiousness that might have otherwise swayed his decision.

"Alright." He finally mumbled, before looking up to his companion. "Let's just do as he says buddy. If dad says he can handle this, then I... I trust him."

"Fine..." Ryuukimi grunted in return. "You just saved that guy a world of pain."

Following Iruka's advice, the boy then took a position behind the man's body, shielding himself from the hateful glares that now searched for him while simultaneously defending himself from any potential harm. However, even despite Iruka's promise to protect him, he couldn't help it as his body began to shake slightly in fear, his mind now suffering under the onslaught of his pain filled memories.

Iruka, on the other hand, had already hardened his resolve and quickly turned his attention back to their would-be attackers, only this time the smile he had previously adorned to reassure his son was now completely absent altogether, instead being replaced with a dangerous glare that threatened the well being of all those who fell under his gaze.

The momentary silence that followed was short lived, quickly being cut of by sharp curses as their attacker began to fume in frustration.

"What do you think you're doing?!?!?!" The shinobi growled. "How could you protect that little monster?!?!? If you stand in our way, we'll just take care of you first, but if you hand the boy over to us, well forget about this whole situation ever happened and we'll even let you join in on some of the fun."

In response to the man's poor choice of words, Iruka's eyes only narrowed that much more dangerously. The mere gesture was enough to cause the shinobi across from him to back up somewhat, however it only made the man that much angrier as well."

"So you're just gonna stand there? Fine, I'll take care of him my..."

Suddenly, the man felt a hand resting firmly on his shoulder, promptly cutting off his words from his lips and causing his eyes to widen in surprised as he realized that the subject of his scorn was no longer visible to his gaze. Only the small blond and his dragon were left in the center of his view, where Iruka had previously stood before.

"I do hope you remember the Sandaime's laws. I'm sure he would be quite discontent if he were to hear you speaking so carelessly about matters that are to be kept secret."

The cold whisper that reached the shinobi's ears was only made that much more threatening by the sudden flood of killing intent that filtered into the air, and soon the man's eyes wondered to its source, only to see Iruka standing at his side while looking past him, glaring coldly at the crowd at his back and causing them to back up somewhat in light of the threatening gesture.

_'Wha... but how did he...?'_

Another tight and rather painful squeeze promptly halted the man's wondering thoughts, and it was all he could do to stop his shaking as the atmosphere began to thicken and grow dense with a suffocating dread and an unmistakable wrath.

"There, that's better." Iruka started again, once the man had stilled.

"However, before we leave you to run along home, I feel it's only right that I should warn you first. You see that boy... he is under my protection now and I've grown sick and tired of the way all of you treat him so cruelly. If you or anyone else even dares to try and harm him, if you even so much as touch one single hair on his head, I swear to Kami I won't hold back anymore. I can't guarantee that I won't do something that even I might regret."

Iruka then gave one last squeeze, eliciting a sickening crunch as the shinobi's shoulder succumbed to the pressure of his grip and causing the man in his hold to hiss and whimper in pain. The scarred chunin then released his grip once more, allowing the disgruntled assailant the relief and support of his own knees, before turning around to return back to where Naruto was standing.

Once he was at the boy's side again, he placed a hand gently on Naruto's shoulder, easing the youngster's fear educed shaking and relieving him of the burden of some of his emotions.

"Common kiddo, how about we go and spend some time in the park and get away from all of these idiots. At least over there, no-one will disturb us, so we can relax in peace. What do you say?"

Naruto just nodded his head shakily, before his hand instinctively reached for that of his father's. Iruka then took hold of the weak grip that met his palms, before leading the boy away and heading them off to their new detonation. The chunin was relieved, however, to note that the small crowd did not dare to follow them.

--

A few minutes later saw the trio arriving at their new destination as the serene atmosphere of the park met their senses. Iruka could immediately feel the way Naruto's emotions began to ease through their touch once they had arrived and he was grateful that his idea was rewarded with reasonably positive results.

The way the breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees and the way the sunlight danced on the water of the nearby pond, was already enough to immediately calm their nerves and even Iruka could see the way Naruto's gaze was lost in such a peaceful beauty, when he looked down to see the boy's eyes enraptured in the trance of his own view.

"Are you feeling a bit better now?" The man finally offered gently, letting go of Naruto's hand. The boy just looked up to him with a forlorn expression, before giving his answer in a quite whisper.

"Yeah... thanks dad..."

"It's no problem kiddo." Iruka allowed again. "I just hope that little incident didn't give you too much of a scare. I promise I wouldn't have let any of them hurt you. Now, lets go sit down for a while. We can talk about whatever you want to."

Iruka then turned to make his way towards a nearby vacant bench, but before either of them could wander far, another voice called out across the air, only this one was far younger and lacked the sinister tone that had so disdainfully addressed them only a few minutes before.

"Hey!!! It's the angel!!!"

--

**AN:** Hey again. Well, I decided to cut off the chapter here, mostly because I am not in the right frame of mind to carry on right now. I know a lot of you have been waiting for an update, so I decided to finish it here and publish it. The main reason is that someone in my family died recently (on Monday 26th of October, to be exact) and in addition to that my grandfather has been diagnosed with emphysema.

I also have my own health problems and I am just not emotionally fit at the moment, so I hope everyone understands. I just really feel rather defeated right now and really tired.

I had also originally planned to separate this particular theme (the day of Naruto's birth) into two chapters in any case. The first is meant to show it in a way the rest of Konoha sees it, as a day of mourning rather than a day to celebrate and the effect that perception has had on Naruto. The second chapter, however, will show the change and the new start, a brighter side to a dark past and the new hope brought with it.

It will show Naruto's real birthday...

The next chapter will also finish this theme and then following that, I will move directly onto the academy graduation. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**Credits:**

Writer - Me of course!!! XD  
Beta readers - FantomoDrako and KaliAnn


	42. A new beginning for an old story

**Eyes of the Broken Soul**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.

AN: Hey everyone. Unfortunately this is not an update per say. This is actually a message to tell you that I have started a rewrite for "Eyes of the Broken Soul" and that the first chapter has been uploaded to my new profile "TenraiSenshi". If you look for the profile, you can find it there.

The reason for the rewrite will be explained there, so please read it before you comment on my decision.

Anyway, I will show some of the rewrite here, just to give you an idea of what the first chapter looks like, but the whole chapter will be on my new profile. I hope you guys enjoy it.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Nightmares and Loneliness**

They say that when someone is sad, or when the heavy burden of grief claims their heart, the arrival or rain is a welcome solace to hide the tears that fall from their eyes. Storms that bring life-bearing water to the very earth bellow also hold the great promises of new beginnings, fertility and times of joy. Yet, even still, one cannot deny the harm and destruction they are capable of causing just as easily.

For some, such a passing is seen as a blessing, for others an inconvenient curse, but for one boy in particular, not even the rain that fell endlessly passed his solemn and empty gaze could hide the tears that fell just as quietly from his eyes, as he watched such a storm billowing outside his window. For his eyes had carried all the evidence of his emotions of the weight that pressed heavily against his heart, emotions that were rooted in the grief and sorrow that mercilessly clung onto his very being.

A flash of bright light momentarily illuminated the night sky, pulsing through the darkness and painting the clouds above with a smear of white and silver, before letting out an angry roar in the wake of its passing. A deep, heavy breath broke the otherwise eerie silence that followed only moments later, before finally releasing itself from strained lungs in the guise of a shuddered sigh, the hint of a dreaded emotion catching painfully in a child's heart as it sank with the knowledge of what was yet to come.

For Uzumaki Naruto, the storm only served as a fleeting distraction from a life cursed with silence and pain, and it was all he could do to sit quietly upon a tattered bed next to a hazed window, his dampened blue eyes longingly searching the world outside for any distraction they could afford. However, even the mesmerizing trance that the dancing flashes of light offered him could not distract his thoughts from the overbearing cold that wrapped around his body and soon he was shivering from the damp and icy chill that seeped into his skin.

Naruto brought his legs up to huddle his knees closely against his chest, before hugging them tightly in an attempt to stay warm. Any blanket that might have been afforded to another child of his age by the grace of a loving parent, was notably absent from his hold, and only the warmth of his own body and the thin, torn clothes that scantly covered him, provided any protection from the unforgiving elements. He was somewhat used to living under such harsh conditions, so he tried to adapt as best as he always had, but that didn't make it any easier for him to bear.

This was his hell, his empty world of broken dreams and unrelenting pain. Naruto never knew why he was treated differently from the other children in his orphanage, or why he was never given the affection and care that his fellows were so freely blessed with. He never knew why he couldn't feel the warmth of a simple hug, or the soft whisper of a gentle voice as it told him that he was loved. All he ever knew was the cold and unforgiving glares of darkened eyes as they regarded him with a bitter malice and loathing discontent. The same eyes that mercilessly bored into his soul every time one's gaze drew onto him and the same eyes that watched him cry out in pain every time their owner saw fit to inflict against him whatever cruel torture they could muster.

He never knew why he was hated so much, or why the caretakers of his orphanage treated him with such cruelty. They even denied him the simple comfort of having company by isolating him in the farthest and most run down side of the building that he reluctantly called home. All he knew was that this was his reality and it was all he could do to simply survive it as best as he could.

Another brief flash of light momentarily interrupted Naruto's deteriorating thoughts, before drawing his otherwise unfocused eyes back to his window once more. A happy couple could be seen walking merrily passed his view, comforted in one another's arms as they walked under the shelter that kept them from the torrent of rain. Even though it was faint, the young boy could just barely make out the exuberant laughs that carried across the air as they continued happily on their journey, and a tight squeeze shared between them as they wrapped their arms around one another easily betrayed the love they clearly shared.

Soon afterwards, a single, small hand found itself firmly pressed against the icy window that tickled against its palm, a hand that reached out longingly for the warmth that met its owner's sight only to find coldness in its stead. A few drops of water trickled against the floor moments later and soon the vision that met Naruto's vision began to warp and fade altogether, his view now impeded by the salty evidence of emotions that welled up in his eyes. Even despite his best efforts, Naruto could not stop the tears as they slid down the side of his cheeks and over the fine whisker lines that marked them, nor the heavy sob that unexpectedly wracked his body.

_'Why... why can't I just touch them?' _The boy thought quietly to himself, in between a deep heave._ 'Why can't I feel that warmth...? I just want to... I just...'_

Naruto simply squeezed his eyes tightly in anguish, ridding them of any remaining tears that might have otherwise still clung to his vision, before shaking his anguished thoughts from his mind. Unfortunately, they would not be the last tears he would shed that night, nor would they be the easiest to bear.

It wasn't long before the door to Naruto's room suddenly began to stir before slowly creaking open, an expected arrival and a curse to the boy's life, one that he knew would soon bring him pain.

Startled from his trance, Naruto quickly jumped up from the bed that had provided him his only comfort, his eyes now widened with the evidence of fear and panic, before he backed slowly up against the nearby wall. Both of his hands soon found themselves pressing tightly against the cold surface that met his back, almost as if to brace him or simply keep him steady, and shortly afterwards his gaze was caught by another imposing figure as it entered into his view.

"Good evening Naruto-kun," a heavy voice sneered pompously. "I'm sure you know why I am here, so there's no need for any formal introductions, not that you would understand such civil exchanges. Let's just get on with it then, shall we? I am feeling rather tired tonight..."

Naruto simply whimpered in fear as he regarded the colossal tower of a man that addressed him, knowing all to well what would follow soon afterwards. It was the same thing that happened every night without fail and this night wouldn't be any different from the others. As if to confirm his fears of what was to come, or merely to taunt the flow of his tears, the warden in front of him began to crack his knuckles into his hands, causing them to pop loudly into place as he prepared himself for the night's 'lesson'. It was all Naruto could do to close his eyes as tightly as he could in preparation for what would follow, while trying desperately to hold his own body from collapsing under his precariously shaking knees.

_'Please, please don't let it last long. Please let it not hurt too much...'_

**_To be continued...._**

* * *

For the rest, please see my new profile. And please don't be upset about me wanting to do a rewrite, the reasons will be explained. Just read them on my new profile first before anything.

I hope to see you all along for the new ride. I am actually excited about the rewrite, because it is the first time I have felt good about writing in a while and this was always my favorite story. I just wanted to make it even better.


End file.
